Bandits from the North
by Alan Sanders
Summary: Three months after the movie: On her way to a Danish wedding, Anna's ship is hijacked by the notorious Boreal Bandits. Now it's Elsa's turn to save her sister. But who is this mysterious Bandit Queen, and what magic does she wield?
1. Chapter 1: Haakon and the Bandit Queen

Chapter 1: Haakon and the Bandit Queen

The sound of a hundred boots, stepping in unison filled the valley with a metronome's cold, un-breaking beat. _Clack, clack, clack, clack._ Haakon's eyes fell to his left and then his right, seeing the men that were his marching companions now. They wore simple woolen and cotton trousers and tunics, faded from working in the sun. The carried pitch forks, rusted at the tips from too much time spent farming near the salty fjord. A few carried torches, casting a dancing glow about, although the way forward was clearly lit in the moonlight. All marched northward, stepping in unison on the frosted ground. _Clack, clack, clack, clack. _

Haakon looked at his own robes, a dark teal of woven wool and purple linen trim. The colors of his kingdom. They stood out in such contrast to the simple farmers, shepherds, trappers and icers marching with him. These were not the regular infantry he normally marched with. How had he gotten here? He closed his eyes, forcing himself to recall, but his mind gave him nothing. He tried to conjure images of his home, of anything that happened in the last few days, but it was if his mind's eye had been blindfolded. All he could remember was a compulsion to march northward.

_Clank, clank, clank, clank._

Haakon tried to dig deeper. There was something. A pair of eyes. Perhaps a face? No, the face was covered in a midnight-blue bandana. Black hair framed a pair of eyes, deep blue irises in a sea of salty white.

A deep rumble stirred in the air. Haakon looked up. Was an avalanche forming in the mountains above? It was only mid-autumn—surely there wasn't enough snow built up yet, even in the mountains. But he realized the rumble was in fact a hum. A few of the men around him were humming a single deep note. This was followed by three more notes, rising in a melody that Haakon almost recognized. With each note, more of the men joined in, their marching keeping the meter.

_Hmmm-mmm-mmm._

_Clank, clank, clank, clank._

Then a pair voices from the middle of the crowd started singing, giving words to the hummed tune.

"_Mountains rise, glaciers gleam_

_Through the fields, across the streams_

_A North Wind moans—and chills our bones_

_Away we march—for the bandit queen."_

The Bandit queen. That's who those eyes belonged to. She had been lounging across a fallen log where the path bent over a river waiting for him and these men. She had looked them over, and let out her sultry voice, "Oh, yes. You will do just fine."

Why had they even been walking over that path, anyway? Haakon tried to remember. They were searching for a … marshmallow? That couldn't be right. He tried to search his sketchy memory, but was interrupted by a second verse, half the company now joining in.

"_A hidden palace, it draws us near_

_We'll miss our fathers, and our mothers, dear_

_But march away—through night and day_

_Our bandit queen, and her visions clear"_

In the brief silence at the end of the verse, the dam holding back Haakon's memories finally broke. He was back at the palace, two days ago, kneeling before Queen Elsa of Arendelle. His queen. To her right, Princess Anna was giggling with that snowman Olaf. Elsa had smiled at them briefly before turning to Haakon. Haakon had been a palace guard for over a decade, and despite all the changes in the last three months, it still seemed strange to see Elsa about the palace, and stranger still to see her smiling.

"Haakon," She had said. "I called you here because I've been getting some disturbing reports from the northern valleys. Now that autumn is upon us, some nights are seeing temperatures dropping below freezing. And that means some of the snow capping the North Mountain can … wander down into the valleys."

"Wandering snow, your majesty?" Haakon asked. She must have been referring to the enchanted castle she had created.

"An unfortunate side effect of my time atop the mountain was the creation of a very mean looking guard." Elsa answered, as tactfully as she could, the smile no longer on her face. But Haakon had remembered the towering snow beast. He was one of the guards that had to battle the brute while trying to fetch Elsa back from the North Mountain.

This time, the snowman answered, "His name's Marshmallow."

"Yes, Marshmallow." Elsa went on. "He has been sneaking into the valleys and scaring the farmers. They want to band up and hunt him down. But I think this can be handled more diplomatically. I would like you to take a message to Marshmallow, up on the North Mountain."

"A message for Marshmallow, up North Mountain, your majesty?" Haakon asked with a tinge of nervousness in his voice. There were still superstitions about the North Mountain, ever since it was the epicenter of Elsa's storm that froze summer.

But Anna answered, "I actually went up there a couple weeks ago to get Elsa's crown back. He was really nice. We had a snowball fight, and then he threw me waaaay up in the air, but he always caught me, and it was really fun, so like I said he's really nice, but he was super protective of that crown, and I think he still wears it, and I think he's just being protective of those valleys too, you know, fending off wolves. You know?" She offered a big nervous grin after her rant.

Haakon smiled back. "Of course, your highness." Haakon answered. He looked at the Queen and bowed briefly, "I'll be off immediately, your majesty."

She was smiling again. "Thank you Haakon."

So Haakon had found himself hiking up North Mountain, only to discover giant tracks in the snow, heading down toward the northern valleys. He followed them downward until nightfall, at low enough elevations that the snow gave way to frosted ground. He worked his way to the nearest village, where he found a band of farmers, wielding their pitchforks and torches. He offered to lead them in their search for the Snow Beast, as the farmers called Marshmallow, on the provision that he could deliver a message to the brute before the farmers struck.

They had walked together as a band, down the path leading from the village, until they reached a bridge with a lady blocking their path. She was adorned in a tight-fitting black fur vest, with dark blue vestments, designed for quick motion rather than to conform to fashions of the time. Her nose and mouth was obscured with a bandana, and dark hair framed the rest of her face. Atop her head was the tiara Elsa had worn at her coronation—the one supposedly worn by Marshmallow at the time. But what struck Haakon the most was her eyes. A deep blue, as blue as either of the royal sisters, forming a piercing gaze.

Now, marching northward, those piercing eyes were all that Haakon could see in his memory. Those eyes, and brief vision of a castle on a forgotten island much farther north than the kingdom extended. The eyes, wisps of a deeper blue, radiating out from impossibly black, gleaning pupils, onto a seafoam white background. "Oh yes, you will do nicely" he heard in a voice-over, but on the word _nicely_, the eyes changed. Starting in the center they crystallized into a pair of multi-faceted marquise-cut sapphires, a deep blue on a deep blue.

The memories of Arendelle, of Marshmallow, all faded away, leaving only a compulsive desire to march northward. He joined in with the other men, singing a third verse whose words he somehow knew.

"_Called toward her shimmer and blue eyes' gleam,_

_Past broken forest, trees twist and lean_

_Beyond the frost—to islands lost_

_Away we march—for the Bandit Queen"_

* * *

**Author's note: I had the tune of "Misty Mountains Cold" in mind for the Bandit Queen marching song, but maybe you, dear readers, can come up with something better? Also, first story and all that, so please let me know what you think!  
**


	2. Chapter 2: The Queen's Speech

Chapter 2: The Queen's Speech

Kristoff looked at the Texan with suspicion before turning to Olaf. "Are you sure that's a real country?"

The snowman turned and muttered some gibberish to the Texan, got some gibberish response, and then replied to Kristoff, "He says Texas is more real of a country than Royal Ice Master is a real thing."

"Well, ask him his name," Kristoff requested, before turning to scan the crowd. Tents were still going up in the castle courtyard, the beginning of Buckthorn Berry festival. Somewhere darting between the stands would be Anna.

Kristoff's search was cut off when the Texan answered, "Juh sweez Decker." Kristoff didn't know the High Court's _lingua franca,_ which is why he needed Olaf to act as translator, but still knew that a proper Frenchman would be offended by that accent. Good thing he was just an Arendelle Ice Master.

"He says his name is Decker" Olaf began.

"I got that much, and that doesn't sound like a real name either," Kristoff replied. By then he had spotted Anna in the crowd, sitting some small child. He wanted to see what that was about, but also didn't want to abandon his charge with the Texan. He turned back to the snowman. "Olaf, can you ask Decker why he wants to know about ice?" he asked. Then, kneeling down close to Olaf continued, "And find out _exactly_ why he wants to know it. I don't want the kingdom's ice harvesting secrets getting out for the wrong reasons."

Olaf's eyes widened. "Ooooh, of course." He turned and flashed Decker a suspicious look, before launching into some tirade in French.

Kristoff stood and smiled. That ought to keep the pair of them busy for a little bit. Now what was going on over at the other end of the courtyard with Anna? Was that boy crying?

Suddenly Anna leapt to her feet while pointing and shouting "PIG!" Kristoff followed the boy's gaze to see a pig sniffing at an apple cart. He looked back to where Anders was standing, but only saw Anna's shadow disappear into the crowd, with a yell of "Halt, you swine!" This probably wouldn't end well.

Sure enough, the next thing Kristoff heard was a loud _thunk_, accompanied by apples streaming all over the square. She looked over her shoulder to shout some apology to the cart's owners, but not seeing where she was going, she crashed into a table of buckthorn berry pies and slid along its length before it flipped over her.

"I'm sorry. I'll help you bake more," she was saying to the pie bakers.

But they replied in unison with a resounding "No!"

When Kristoff first met Anna, he had gotten hit in the head with a sack full of carrots. Seeing the growing disarray in the courtyard, he considered himself to have gotten off easy. This would probably be a good time to start heading out, least he get dragged into the middle of everything. He turned to Olaf, whose interrogation of Decker had turned to a pleasant chat. "Well?" Kristoff asked the snowman.

"Oh, you again. Decker says he wants ice because Texas is hot."

Kristoff chuckled. So much for the interrogation. From somewhere behind him, he heard Anna shout "Follow that pig!" and the sounds of newly pitched tents collapsing to the ground. Now was definitely a good time to head out.

"Alright. Let's grab Sven and head up to Moonstone Lake," Kristoff said. "I needed to visit the woods anyway."

Olaf translated that for Decker, before turning back to Kristoff. "Why do you need to visit the woods?" Olaf asked, before jumping up and down, saying "Oh, I know why! The little troll girl told me… Should I translate it for Deck—?"

"No!" Kristoff cut him off. "Let's just, uh… let's just find Sven. He's waiting just outside the gates."

* * *

Elsa paced back and forth in her bedroom. Speeches. Why did it have to be speeches? She knew the answer well enough: she was a queen, and queens gave speeches. This was simply another duty she had, now that she wore the figurative crown—the real crown was still missing along with Marshmallow in the northern valleys. Growing up she had always known that someday this duty would befall her.

She remembered when she was little, before the gates had closed, her father would give a speech at the beginning of every berry festival. He would stand, regal and composed, on a stage against the Eastern fence of the palace courtyard. She and a very young Anna would be standing in the back of the crowd. They didn't need to try to pack up against the stage to see the King. They saw him every day. Anna would pull at her sister's hand. "Come on, Elsa. Let's find some pies!"

Elsa would just let her sister tug at her arm. "We'll eat pies later, Anna. Papa is about to make his speech."

Then the King would start to talk. "Citizens of Arendelle," his speeches always began, to great applause.

Elsa would try to listen and try to ignore the five-year-old's tugs at her arm, each tug accented with a rhythm of "pies—pies—pies—pies." Then Anna would stop tugging, lean in close, and say in that voice she used when she knew she had a secret weapon, "I think I saw some _chocolate_ pies." That was the magic word to nine-year-old Elsa. She would run about the courtyard following Anna, looking for the fabled chocolate pie, the speech completely forgotten.

Years later, after the gates had closed, the King would still make a speech from the Eastern Tower of the castle, projecting his voice out to the town square where the berry festival was taking place. Elsa would look on from her bedroom window. "Citizens of Arendelle," those speeches would begin the same way.

An adolescent Elsa would strain to listen to the ebb and flow of her father's voice—calls from the tower followed by uproars from the crowd below. She would close her eyes and imagine herself in the tower, speaking to a crowded square. But at the thought of all those piercing eyes—her heart would start racing and breath would come short. Soon she would open her eyes and see that her windowsill was frosted over. Then controlling her power was more important that paying attention to the speech outside.

_Why couldn't I have paid better attention all those years ago_? Elsa wondered. She looked down at the only three words she had written for her speech so far. _Citizens of Arendelle…_

There was a knock on the door, a familiar cadence of _knock-knock'a-knock-knock_, Anna's knock_. _Elsa jumped to open the door. Maybe her sister could help! At least she would be a welcome distraction from the empty page. But as she opened the door, she had to take a step back from what she saw. Her sister was stained in purple and completely water-logged, sea-water still dripping from the end of her twin braids. Anna wore a guilty grin on her face.

"Can I borrow a dress," she said.

Elsa stepped aside as her sister dove into the closet. She hoped this wouldn't be like when they shared a room in their childhood, and Anna would ask to borrow her cloth—when Anna would fling half the wardrobe out of the closet, leaving their room like it were haunted by a very fashion-savvy poltergeist.

The queen was proud of her sister today; she hadn't flung a single thing out of the closet. Instead, she popped her head out to ask, "_What _is _this?_"

The next Elsa saw, Anna popped out of the dressing room, in a gown that looked like she was sitting in an enormous pumpkin, with full-sized gourds as shoulder poofs. "Ooh-la-la" she said in a sing-song voice and mock French accent. "My hips are here, my hips are here, pardon my behind young man, didn't mean to knock you down."

Elsa held back a chuckle. "It was just a gift," she said.

"From whom?!"

"I don't know… one of the big countries," she answered, adding a woodsman's hat to top off Anna's ridiculous costume, and shoving her back into the changing room.

"I can barely fit through the doorway," Anna continued in her mock accent. She continued humming, before popping her head out and asking, "What about an ice dress?"

"An ice dress?" Elsa asked.

"Like the one you're wearing."

Elsa looked down at what had once been a teal woolen winter dress, which through her ice magic had become soft blue frozen gossamer, punctuated with icy hexagons and cascading snowflakes. In the evenings when she would change into her night gown, she would think about how much she loved her kingdom, and the open gates, and her sister; and the dress would revert back to the woolen teal. Every morning, regardless of what outfit she initially would put on, she would twist her foot into the ground, sending icicles radiating up the hem, expanding outward in a vortex of snow. Every morning she would emerge from the whirlwind in her icy dress. It was a routine that helped her control her frosty powers. But did she have enough control to freeze over Anna's dress without freezing her sister as well? She didn't want to think about that.

Instead she answered, "Wearing ice can get pretty cold."

"It's not too cold for you." Anna replied as she returned to spelunking among her sister's gowns.

"Well, the cold never—"

"Right, the cold never bothered you anyway." Anna finished. Then she stepped out wearing a soft mint-and-salmon dress, with dark red shoes in a matching pattern. "Found one. What do you think?"

"You look lovely." Elsa answered, "But those shoes are new, and ..."

"Yeah," Anna began, "but they match, and I just ruined mine. And I know I should have taken better care of them, but I was just too excited, and—"

"It's okay Anna—I'll let you wear them," Elsa answered, steadying her sister. "But in return, I'll need your help with something."

Anna looked in amazement at the speech her sister had written, or rather at the three words and striking _lack_ of speech. Her sister was afraid of public speaking? Her sister, who could compose essays and treaties, and such emotional poetry—Elsa had recently, after much pestering, cajolery, and no small amount of begging let Anna read the verses she had composed behind the closed doors of her adolescence—that same sister needed help writing a simple Berry Festival speech.

"… And then I have the quill against the paper, but I imagine myself actually standing on that stage, and all of those people looking at me, and what if the word I want to write is _exactly_ the wrong word? What if sounds too pretentious—like I'm some lofty royalty that they will never relate too? Or what if it's too simple, that as their queen they are expecting more? And before I know it—"

_Crack_. Anna looked down to see the quill in Elsa's hand had frozen over, the ink solidifying, expanding, and shattering the fountain tip.

"Hey, hey, calm down Elsa. It's just a festival speech."

"But every year at Buckthorn Berry festival, Papa's were so…" Elsa clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes, trying to convey the emotions she remembered from her childhood. "And the kingdom loved him so. I don't know how I can follow in his footsteps."

"First off," Anna began, "You won't be following Papa—you'll be following Louis. Do you remember his speeches?"

Anna though back to the past three years of regency, headed by Governor Louis. He had taken it upon himself to deliver the speeches. He would walk around claiming that this year, _this year_, he had nailed it down, but each year he would fail spectacularly. He tried to joke through the tedium of royal governance, but his jokes would fall flat, then he would awkwardly stumble as he tried to recover. Anna wrinkled her nose at the memory. Seeing the same look painted on Elsa's face, Anna surmised that her sister must have the same memory of them too.

"Secondly," Anna went on. "The kingdom loves you. Just this morning Anders was saying how he wanted you to catch Norm."

Elsa cocked her head. "Who's Norm?"

"His pig."

Elsa looked at the crumpled dress in the corner of her bedroom, soaking in seawater and spackled with buckthorn berries, and couldn't help but think that this pig might have been behind it all. She looked Anna and chuckled, but the grin quickly drooped and she sighed. "I just wish I could ask Papa to help me one last time."

Anna replied with, "Well, we can do the next best thing." She grabbed her sister's hand and started pulling her out of the room. "It's long overdue."

* * *

Anna led her sister out the palace back gates, across the low-rising hills, to a low-laying valley with two jagged boulders carved with the seal of Arendelle and simple runes reading Agdar and Idun. The final memorials to the King and Queen.

"I've only visited this valley a few times," Anna began. "But it always helps me to …" she trailed off, noticing her sister's arms were dropping in temperature. The ground around them was beginning to frost over. "Elsa. Is everything okay?"

Elsa ran towards Agdar's stone, falling to her knees in front of it. "I'm so sorry Papa," She sobbed. "I could have … I could have frozen the sea. I could have saved you. But I had to conceal… But I don't have to hide it anymore. He said fear would be my enemy. But it wasn't _their_ fear threatening me, it was always my own…" As she went on, frost would trickle outward then wane back.

Anna felt like she was eavesdropping on something very private and personal, so she decided to give her sister space, walking to the far side of Idun's stone and sitting down in the cool grass. After a beat, she started talking to the stone. "So Mama, it's you and me again, while Elsa and Papa are off having the discussions that rulers have."

She paused, as if waiting for the stone to reply. But after growing up having one-sided conversations with a portraits and a shut door, she didn't let the stone's silent answer deter her, and she went on. "And I want to help her real bad. And I know I'm gonna. But we could use your help too."

She paused again, before saying what she'd been holding back for three years. "I've missed you mama." The tears she was holding back fell freely.

"Anna, thank you for taking me here—I think I know what to put in the speech."

* * *

A thousand miles to the north, Askel approached the small encampment. The fire in the middle of the circle of tents flickered and danced in the cold arctic wind. A single woman sat by the fire, her face masked by a midnight-blue bandana, her eyes masked in the shadows of the dancing flames. Behind them a fortress of stone and ice towered in the distance.

"The raid managed to scare the bears away, but they'll be back in a day or two."

"Askel, you look grimy. And did you forget to whom you are addressing?"

"At my age, you stop caring how you look, _my Queen._ But the fact is that those bears didn't like leaving the fortress. They will be back."

"Yes, in a couple days. That will be enough time. The next batch of men should arrive this afternoon."

"The next step will be removing the toppled columns and—"

"Shushshh," the Bandit Queen interrupted Askel. Askel noticed the queen's eyes in the firelight had taken on a crystalline texture. "Another vision."

"You have been having them almost continuously for the past three months."

"The time to strike is almost here. Every vision must be considered."

"What do you see?"

"A rock, carved with runes."

* * *

As they walked back, Anna mulled over what she heard Elsa say to their father's headstone. Finally she asked, "Do you really think you could freeze over the ocean?"

Elsa looked at her sister. "I don't know. I still have nightmares thinking about ships lost on stormy waves."

Anna thought for a moment. "Is that why some mornings your door is entirely frosted over? You're trying to freeze the oceans in your sleep—to save Mama and Papa?"

Elsa looked at the ground as she answered, with a bit of embarrassment. "My dreams about losing Mama and Papa are sad, but the nightmares when I really lose myself in fear and let the ice flow—those are ones where I lose you." She looked at her sister briefly, before returning her gaze to the ground. "Anna, I only just got you back. I don't want to ever lose you again."

"Hey, sis," Anna began, grabbing Elsa's shoulder. "You know I'm not going anywhere."

Elsa raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"I mean except when I sail to Denmark on Tuesday. But that's just for Eric's wedding, so I'll be right back." Seeing that this explanation didn't satisfy her sister, Anna went on. "And he's marrying the daughter of the King of the Atlantic. I wouldn't be surprised if King Triton sent a contingent of swimming guards to escort our ship all the way across the sea. Since we're all going to be family soon, right? I mean Cousin Eric is actually a cousin of ours, isn't he?"

"Yes, Erick is a third or fourth cousin, removed once or twice, on some side or other. I'd actually have to consult the family tree to see which."

"See, we're all family. So I'm sure the mermaids won't let anything happen to our ship." Anna folded her arms and nodded her head, as if that settled the matter. Then she thought for a moment. "He must be a pretty distant relation, 'cause he doesn't look anything like us. I've seen his portrait, and his face is all … flat."

"Anna. I hope you have better things to say to the young Danish prince when you actually meet him."

"Right, because the etiquette handbook says," Anna put on a tone of mock-formality, "that when one meets a foreign prince, princesses are not to comment on his appearance, be it attractive or ghastly."

"That's what the etiquette handbook says."

"And a princess is never to answer honestly when asked her opinions on politics and trade, instead steering the conversation toward the weather and latest fashion trends from Paris," Anna continued in her mock-formal voice.

"Um, I don't think was a specific rule in the handbook," Elsa began. "But I suppose some people say—"

Anna cut her off with, "And they say princesses should never go off on adventures to rescue their kingdom."

Elsa raised an eyebrow.

Anna continued "Riding off into the frozen night, battling the elements, battling wolves—" At this point, Anna grabbed a stick and started sword fighting against the air. "All to save her kingdom!"

Elsa smiled. She knew where this was going. "That is what they say."

Anna replied with a big grin. "Well it's a good thing we know better."

* * *

Back in the castle courtyard, Anna took her place in the back of the crowd while Elsa stepped onto the stage. "Citizens of Arendelle," the Queen's speech began, to the applause of the crowd.

Before hearing any more of the speech, Anna was distracted by the smell of berry pies. She wandered over to the table that she had knocked askew just that morning. Before she got too close, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Princess Anna, a slice just for you," the baker said, handing her a small plate with a slice of buckthorn berry pie on it.

"Thank you very much!" Anna enthused.

"Just maybe eat it over there," The baker said, pointing to some place far away from the pie table.

* * *

As Elsa was changing into her night gown, she heard a knock on her door. "Hey Elsa, I brought your dress back. I had it washed and everything," Anna was saying as the Queen opened the door.

"Thanks." Elsa grabbed the gown from her sister. "How is packing?"

"Oh, you know. Putting things in trunks. I guess I'm not sure what people wear in Denmark. I mean, I've never been."

"I'm sure you'll love it." Elsa began. "I read about a spread for your bread in the morning called Pålægschokolade. It's thinly sliced chocolate. You'll have to bring me back some."

Anna laughed nervously. "Yeah, the Danes won't be a problem. But what about the other side of the wedding. The Atlanticans?"

"I'm sure they're lovely too," Elsa started, before beaming excitedly. "Just imagine, though. Mermaids. I always heard stories, but I was never sure I could believe them."

Anna looked at her sister's icy dress, hung up near the wardrobe, the bottom slowly thawing into a teal colored wool. Then she looked out the window and up to the northern mountains, where somewhere nestled between the peaks was the Valley of Living Rocks. "Mermaids. And Snow Queens and Trolls. I wonder what other hidden folk are out there."

"The world is more mysterious and wonderful that we could imagine."

"It really is," answered Anna.


	3. Chapter 3: Bon Voyage

Chapter 3: Bon Voyage

After the festivities of Buckthorn Berry festival ended, Tuesday crept up quickly. Before she knew it, Anna stood at the edge of the docks, with her trunk behind her, and Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven in front.

"Are you sure you don't want to come to Denmark with me?"

"Of course I _want_ to. But I've got a lot of icing to do. Babysitting that Texan put me back a few days."

Anna pouted. So Kristoff continued, "And Sven doesn't do boats." Anna looked at the reindeer who was eyeing the pier suspiciously. Kristoff came in closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. "You watch out for that Texan. I think he's joining your voyage. And I don't trust him. I'm pretty sure that's not a real country, and his name—Decker—that's not a real name."

Anna smiled and winked. "I'll keep an eye out for him."

Kristoff gave her one last kiss, before giving Sven's antler a tug and saying, "Come on, pal. Lots of ice to go dig up."

Elsa's eyes followed the man and his reindeer as they walked off the docks, before turning to Anna.

Anna was wearing the giddy little smile she always wore when she looked at Kristoff from a distance. "I know it's tradition for royalty to marry royalty," she began, turning to Elsa. "But times are changing, right? I mean Repunzel married a thief. And now Prince Eric is marrying a fish. So maybe you wouldn't mind if…" She trailed off, seeing a look of concern on her sister's face.

"I _really_ hope you don't call her a fish when you get to Denmark."

Anna smiled with embarrassment. "Right. All I meant was traditions aren't…"

Elsa cut her off. "Kristoff is a wonderful man, and I can tell he loves you dearly. I saw it on the frozen fjord three months ago, and every day since." The queen smiled at her sister. In fact, she had already given Kristoff her blessing for his marriage proposal to Anna. Now it was up to Kristoff to get to the actual proposing. She knew he was planning something for when Anna returned from Denmark. And she wanted to keep it a surprise for Anna, so she played along with Kristoff's ruse. "But he does have a lot on his plate, now that he is the official Ice Master of the kingdom."

Anna gave her a skeptical look. "I thought we just made that title up."

"Maybe we did, but now that its official, it turns out there is a lot for an Ice Master to do."

Anna giggled in response. "Okay, so Kristoff is too busy to sail with me. But what about you? Can't you come to Denmark, let Louis run the kingdom for a few days? When we were little, we always dreamed of traveling the world together." Then to sweeten the deal, she added, "Plus, you could eat that breakfast chocolate—something-schokolade."

Elsa looked back at the castle. "There was an old story that our Icelandic cousins told me once. About bees who lost their queen. Then the bees started fighting amongst themselves—descending into a war because they felt the sky wasn't big enough for all of them. Eventually they were all eaten by birds."

Anna gave a screwy face. "Are you're saying that without you here, Arendell will fall into civil war until everyone gets eaten?"

"I'm saying that a Queen's place is with her people. Besides, Anna, I'm not sure the broader world is ready for my magic. So you need to go out first and ease the neighboring kingdoms into the idea that they live next door to a Snow Queen."

"Right. That's why I'm bringing Olaf." At the mention of his name, the little snowman waddled up to the two sisters.

"You mean it? I can come too?"

"As long as the Queen approves" Anna answered.

Olaf looked at Elsa who gave a quick nod. "Hooray!" he shouted. "I get to go to Denmark, and see the Mermaids, and eat the Danishes and … well I don't have an esophagus for eating, but I can smell the Danishes and …" He continued listing things he would do in Denmark as he boarded the boat, his personal flurry following close behind.

Elsa watched him go, then turned to Anna, saying, "Remember. You're an emissary for Arendelle now. Think about what you do and how that reflects on the kingdom."

"You don't need to worry. I won't call anyone a fish—" Anna began in reply.

"As a royal emissary, you'll need this." Elsa reached for a sparkling brooch pinned to her dress—a golden flower with amethyst and emerald backdrop. A jeweled miniature of the seal of the kingdom. She pinned it to Anna's sailing cloak. "There now it's official."

Anna looked at it, then added, "Yep, now I'm an official emissary of Arendelle. But I'm also an emissary of the Snow Queen, so maybe you could…" she finished her thought by twisting her hands over each other.

Elsa mimicked the motions, sending a stream of ice to the pin, growing an icy aquamarine snowflake above the golden flower. "There. Now it's officially official." She reached in to hug her sister, before backing up and saying, "I think the captain is waving everyone on. You'll need to start sailing while the tide is still right. Be safe Anna."

"And I'll bring you back the Pålægschokolade." Anna said as she turned and walked up the gangplank.

As she reached the rail of the ship, a short, scruffy looking man, perhaps thirty years Anna's elder, clad in a brown military uniform and high riding belt with an over-sized buckle, ran up the plank behind her. "This boat going to Denmark?" he asked in French with a bad accent.

"Decker! You made it!" Olaf exclaimed, running up to the scruffy man.

"Oh, you must be the Texan." Anna added in English.

"And you must be the Princess." Decker answered, grabbing Anna's hand and giving it a quick peck. "Decker of the Lone Star Republic, at yer service," he followed up with a clumsy bow. "An' a good thing someone 'round speaks a proper language. I mean this feller here," he pointed to Olaf, "he's a fine translator, but his accent ain't nothing to brag about."

Anna was unsure how to respond to this. Fortunately for her, the ship's captain called out, "Cast off! Ready about, weigh anchor, First Mate Errol, take us to sea!" There was a bustle about as the ship came to life, crew scattering to various lines and stations. A minute later, they were sailing out to the open water.

Anna found her way to the bow of the ship, where Decker was already standing. "It's amazing," She said of the water splashing below them.

"Ain't you never been on a boat before?"

"Never."

"Well, let me tell yuh, it stops being amazing pretty quick. Try crossing the Atlantic. Nuthin' but seawater an' hardtack for 6 weeks. Wouldn't wish that even on my enemies."

"That's too bad, cause from what I can tell, now that Arendelle's got an embargo with Wesleton, we have to look across the Atlantic for new trade. In fact since you're the representative of a country in the Americas I'm supposed to be buttering you up for a trade deal. So what do you say-let's strike a deal between Arendelle and Texas?"

Decker had to laugh. "I like your negotiatin' tack. Show off yer cards, and call 'em out. But honey, I already signed a trade deal with your sister. I'm leavin' Norway fer good." He looked at the towering cliffs overhead and waved. "Goodbye to the Land of Gnomes and Trolls!"

Olaf walked up to join them. "When did you meet the trolls?"

"And where did you find gnomes?" Anna added.

"Oh, I never met thems. But I know there's magic in this land."

Anna tried to push him for more. "How… how can you tell there's magic in this land?"

"Hon, Norway ain't the only land with magic. Where I grew up, they was a crew doin' magic too. Alchemy."

"Alchemy?" Anna asked.

"Not the good kind tho—not turning lead to gold nur nuthin' like that. They was turning brown dirt into glowing green dirt. Turned out that green dirt was real poison-like and they was spillin' it in the river accidentally. So I skedaddled, found myself in Texas. Fought fer the independence, ended up in a position I could volunteer to go on a deeplomatic trip to Old Europe."

"But if you hated sailing across the Atlantic so much, why did you volunteer?" Anna asked.

"Lookin' for a special bit of magic I heard about. Flyin.' Some folks down in France built a bag that'll lift you into the air an' let you sail with the birds. So I'm leavin' Norway and headin' for the land of Pastries and Turtlenecks. But first I'm hitchin' a lift to Denmark."

* * *

At the bandits' encampment, in a forgotten island in far north, the Bandit Queen was once again staring into the campfire. She had had another vision, and although it was brief it finally confirmed that her plan would work. It showed the princess boarding a ship—a ship rigged for a journey across the Skagerrak strait, between Norway and Denmark. A journey right into her trap.

At that moment, Askel walked up, supposedly with news of the progress the newest company of men was making in clearing out the fortress. No doubt he had requests for her to tighten her grip on the minds of some of the newest men—even though it was his duty to keep the recruits in check.

Aksel was grimy; Aksel was lazy. But Aksel was useful. His loyalty ensured the loyalty of all the Boreal Bandits. And because her hypnotic magic did not seem to work on them, their loyalty was incredibly important.

He opened his mouth to begin to speak, but the queen held up a finger to silence him. "The Princess is sailing to Eric's wedding as we speak. Our little boat will find them come nightfall."

"Indeed? Then your plan appears to be on track. The fortress will … well, I'll make sure the newest men kick up their pace. The fortress will be ready for our … _guest's_ arrival. But it could be sped along if …"

"Give me a list of names."

As Askel turned to go prepare that list, a strong gust of wind howled through the camp, causing the fire to gutter, blowing it down to embers. Aksel regarded the dying flames for a moment, saying "Perhaps you could also…" He finished his thought with a twisting motion of his hands directed at the fire.

"Kjersten has the fire crystal," answered the Bandit Queen, with a pang of annoyance in her voice.

"The Princess's boat is certainly in for a surprise, then."


	4. Chapter 4: Enter the Boreal Bandits

Chapter 4: Enter the Boreal Bandits

Kjerstin sat in the front seat of a small longboat. Six bandits behind her, with their hands ready on the oars. The boat was just a few yards from the rocky shore of a jagged point thrusting out into the Skagerrak straight. She clutched the red crystal, tied on a small leather string around her neck. As she clutched it, she felt a heat radiate down her fingers, through her arm and into her core. If she wanted to, at this moment she could create a fireball out of thin air. But this was not the time for fireballs—that would come soon enough.

The red crystal was not alone on her leather necklace, but was accompanied by a green one and a blue one. Both were glowing at the moment. She clutched the blue one and closed her eyes, for just a moment.

As she opened them, she turned to Johno, sitting in the first oarsmen position. "Our queen says the princess is on her way. You may be able to see the ship soon."

Johno pulled out a spyglass, extended it and scanned the coastline. "A few sails to the east. They'll hug the coast before taking out into the straight."

"Let me know when they change their sails to come about. We want to take them in the straight."

* * *

Anna was sitting below-deck with Olaf. She had taken it upon herself to find new ways to improve Arendelle's diplomatic prospects with the representative of Texas.

"So, Olaf. I take it you had a good chance to chat with Decker while you two and Kristoff were off gathering ice?"

"Oh, yeah! I was telling him all about Kristoff's ice business, and he was trying to give me lots of business advice. Apparently Mr. Decker is really good at business without really trying."

"Really? What sort of advice?"

"Oh… I don't really remember. I tried to translate it all for Kristoff, but I don't think he was really listening. To tell you the truth, I think he's let his promotion to Ice Master go to his head."

"I think he just didn't want to take advice from a guy he doesn't trust," Anna answered.

"Yeah. Decker's a nice guy. He just really wants to learn how to fly. I told him that I flew once, but that it was 200 feet downward off a cliff. He told me that doesn't count."

Anna thought about her brief experience with flight, being held over an expanding void, herself and Kristoff dangling by rope from the fingers of Elsa's snowmonster, Marshmallow. They were at his mercy until she cut the rope and began their plunge. It had only lasted a few seconds, and in that time she wasn't sure whether the feeling left her exhilarated or terrified.

She had trouble remembering what she felt because she was distracted by the fact that it was the first time she had used a real blade. When Anna was ten, she remembered talking to the painting of Joan of Arc, telling her about how her most recent spat with the courtyard's rosebush had left her new dress in tatters, and how she wished she knew how to sword-fight, so she could defeat the thorny bushes, or lead armies like Joan. Of course the painting hadn't replied, but the look on Joan's face seemed to say, _anyone can lead an army and anyone can learn to swing a sword._

First Anna had asked her father to teach her to swordfight, but he replied with a simple smile saying that princesses didn't swordfight.

Second, she tried to convince a palace guard that it was time she learned how to defend herself, and on the Princess's Orders he was to teach her. The guard just chuckled and rubbed her head. "Okay, my little princess, here is how you swordfight. Follow me." He led her out to the courtyard underneath the willow tree and scrounged around until he found a nice springy stick. "The only thing to remember is that you poke the end into the bad guy," he said as he handed her the stick.

As he turned to return to his post, he felt a quick jab on his leg. Looking back, he saw Anna holding the stick like a sword. "I don't think you understand Princess's Orders. It means you have to teach me for real."

This time the guard didn't chuckle. He just shot Anna a dirty look for thwacking him and said, "Princesses don't swordfight."

Finally, she went to Elsa's door, and told it the story, ending with, "and they all said princesses don't swordfight. But you remember when we were little kids, and people would try to tell us what princesses can't do, but we would just laugh to ourselves because _we knew better._"

Anna heard some shifting behind the closed door, then an annoyed tinge in Elsa's voice as her older sister said, "Anna, you have to listen to Papa." After that, Anna trundled sadly to her own bedroom. But the next morning when she woke up, she found a book from the library tucked under the slit below her door. The book had a small note tucked into the cover, reading "Sometimes, we still know better_". _The book was titled _Techniques in Fencing_. That was the first day she snuck down to visit the suits of armor with her willow switch and book.

"So I told him that I would have to ask a seagull whether it really was the same. But he said I couldn't talk to seagulls, and I told him that I could _tap-dance_ with them, and that was a first step." Anna was brought back to the present moment by Olaf's story.

Decker had fought for the independence, so maybe Anna could ask him about sword fighting as well as try to get him to do business with Arendelle. Well, no time like the present! "Alright Olaf, let's get above the deck so I can be a diplomat and maybe you can find a seagull."

* * *

Scuttle was sitting on the water, taking a short floating rest. He probably shouldn't be resting—after all he was on an official mission—but it was such a long flight across the ocean. He hadn't realized just how far it was, when he was trying so hard to get an official job to do for the wedding. "I know you're an expert on things people use, and things people do, but I don't think people are expecting a seagull to talk to them," the bride-to-be had told him.

He was disappointed, but he bounced right back when he heard the story of a small kingdom across the Skagerrak that had talking snowmen. "If they have a magic talking snowman, I'm sure they wouldn't mind a talking seagull. At least the snowman wouldn't—you see, it's a people custom to let magic things talk to animals," he explained. That line of reasoning seemed to work.

So he found himself floating, waiting for a ship. And was that one in the distance? He took to the air to get a closer look. Yep, that one had the purple-and-teal flags that he was looking for. And that ship was changing its sails to head out into the straight.

* * *

"Kjerstin, they're changing sails. They're heading out into the straight."

"All right oarsmen, take us out after that ship," Kjerstin commanded the crew of the longboat.

"But Kjrst, couldn't you use the fire stone, the same way you got us down here?" one of the oarsmen answered.

"Let me re-phrase. _Bandits_, takes us out after that ship."

The bandits, whose greatest strength was their stealth, silently dipped their oars into the water and glided the longboat on an intercept course with the ship from Arendelle. The ship was still in the distance, but headed their way. How many minutes would it be to intercept?


	5. Chapter 5: Bandits Stole the Whole Boat

Chapter 5: Bandits stole the whole boat.

The sun was setting on the Skagerrak strait, but in the dimming light, Decker sat and looked out over the waters off the back of the ship. This would be it. He had made it to Europe. After a brief stop in the Nordic kingdoms he was on his way to the continent. One more stop for the royal wedding in one of the small kingdoms on the Danish peninsula, then on to France and their magic floating bags. His diplomatic mission had sent him specifically to suss out the feelings of the small Nordic kingdoms—see what they thought of the new American country. All of the big countries afforded real diplomats, not disgraced army captains like himself. If he were to find a small kingdom with real promise in becoming the young republic's ally, the real diplomats would be called in.

That was fine with him. He planned on penning a letter to Austin as soon as he reached Denmark. Nothing interesting to report in the Nordic Kingdoms—well that ice magic was interesting, but Decker thought he would keep that one to himself. With that letter, he would tender his resignation, and strike it southward. At least, that was supposing France wasn't in another revolution—they seemed to be having a lot of those recently. If it was in revolution, well maybe he could wait it out in Norway. It was nice and chilly there, in welcome contrast to a Texan summer. But one way or another, he was going to find those magic floating bags. He was going to learn to fly.

He ran his hand over the smooth, polished wood—its elegance in such contrast to the simple ship he had sailed to Europe on, and in even starker contrast to his own appearance. Rough canvas uniform, prickly grey whiskers radiating out from an untidy mustache, no hat at all. His stipend for this trip and been pretty slim, but it didn't matter—it had gotten him here, and the folks in the Nordic kingdoms didn't seem to mind.

In fact, here came a couple of them now. The princess in her green sailing dress was followed by her magic snowman friend. Olaf was scanning the skies. Decker briefly looked up to see what he was looking for, but there was nothing up there. Instead he turned his attention to the princess. "Howdy, ma'am."

"Hi!" she responded. "So, mister… of Texas. Are you sure you can't work out a better trade deal between Arendelle? I mean, I've read all of the economic reports—there's ice, and fish, and, uh straw, and more ice!"

It was clear to Decker that she hadn't read the any economic reports. But it didn't matter anyway. He had already signed an agreement with her sister, and a copy of that agreement was on its way across the Atlantic. His one remaining act as a delegate would be to retire. "Sorry, honey. Trade deal's already official."

"Oh, well. Can't blame a girl for trying. Anyway, you fought for the independence. Does that mean you know how to swordfight. In fact, shouldn't that uniform come with a saber or something?"

Decker turned from her to look out over the water before answering. "I don't bear arms no more." He closed his eyes, trying to keep memories from resurfacing.

"Oh," she answered, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

* * *

From in the air, Scuttle made his way down to the ship, thinking, _Now, where is the best place to land? All that paneling looks too smooth, my feet would probably slide right off. Hey, that looks like a tree branch. Perfect._

* * *

"Hey Anna, I found a seagull!" Olaf shouted. Anna turned back and sure enough, there was a seagull, with head feathers askew, perched on Olaf's outstretched arm.

"That's great, Olaf." Anna replied. The snowman had a strange way with animals, but Anna didn't mind. She had to re-group, since her plans for both improving diplomacy and learning to swordfight had ended so abruptly.

_Squack-swak! Yah-ya-hyah! _she heard the seagull call, before hearing Olaf return the call in kind. Could he really talk to seagulls?

"Hey Anna, this seagull says he was sent by Prince Eric, to guide us to Denmark." Olaf translated for Anna. Apparently he could talk to seagulls. But if this ship's escort was just a bird, did that mean there wouldn't be a fleet of mermaids to usher them across the straight? This day was turning out to be a big disappointment.

Olaf continued, "He also says it'll be easier to guide us if our little boat were closer to the big boat."

"Wait, what? We have a little boat?" Anna asked.

The seagull squawked again to Olaf, before the snowman answered, "Yeah, I guess he saw a small boat off that way." He was pointing out behind the ship.

Anna turned and looked where Olaf's arm pointed, but she found herself staring into the reflection of the setting sun on the choppy water. She had to squint her eyes to try to see anything in the glare. Was that a small black speck? It could be a boat…

* * *

They were still two hundred yards away from the sailing ship, and Kjerstin decided that was close enough. The longboat was hiding in the glare of the setting sun, but if they floated much closer then their boat would be clearly visible. She turned and nodded to the six oarsmen. As one, they all pulled their midnight blue bandanas up, obscuring their faces. With one hand, Kjerstin grabbed the fire crystal around her neck, once again feeling the warmth spread through her body. She held out her free hand, and could feel the heat coalesce until the air ignited. Thrusting the arm forward, she launched the fireball at the ship. It arched through the air, before hitting the back of the ship. In a few movements, the magic fire would take out the rudder.

Kjerstin walked to the back of the longboat, and summoned another fireball, shooting it into the water behind their boat. The water boiled and spat, the plume of steam launching their boat forward. In a moment a stream of fire was spilling out of Kjerstin's hand, propelling their small vessel right at the Arendelle ship.

With twenty yards to go, she stopped her jet, and launched two more fireballs at the sails of the ship. With those burned away, the ship would be stuck. "Okay men, we board. Remember, we are here for one thing, but that doesn't mean we can't pick up a few extras," she commanded, as the boat glided the last few yards.

The men prepared to board.

* * *

It all happened so fast. First Anna was staring into the glare of the sun, looking at a dark spot that could have been something floating, then the dark spot turned bright orange, and then the back of the ship was on fire! Decker had seen it too. They scarcely had time to shout "fire!" before the crew started running about, sloshing buckets over the edge. But there was something strange about this fire.

Anna didn't have time to find out what it was, because she noticed that the dark spot in the sun's glare was _definitely_ a boat, and one spilling out fire and steam, and speeding straight for them. She grabbed a passing sailor and pointed at it. "We're under attack!" she shouted at him.

His eyes went wide, then he ran off to the bridge of the ship, shouting, "Captain, we're under attack!"

Anna saw the captain turn and look at the sailor, but his gaze turned immediately to the sails as two fireballs set them alight. He looked to his first mate. "Pirates?"

The ship was rocked as the fire-and-steam hurtling longboat knocked into the side of the ship. Seven grappling hooks crossed the railing, and seven men in bandanas—make that six men and one woman—hopped over the edge with swords drawn.

The first mate turned to the captain and replied, "Worse. Bandits."

The bandit woman stepped forward, and called out in a commanding voice that seemed far too loud for her small stature. "I am Kjerstin, captain of the Boreal Bandits, and we are taking this ship."

Anna had read enough books that when this Kjerstin claimed to be taking the ship, she really meant she was kidnapping the princess. And Anna wasn't going to let herself become a kidnapped princess so easily. She started formulating escape plans, but before she could think further than swimming for it, a pair of sailors appeared form below deck, carrying a handful of swords each. They threw them up in the air, and it seemed like the entirety of the crew caught one. The first three now-armed sailors charged the trespassers. The fastest of them reached Kjerstin with his sword held high, but the bandit simply ducked low, swept at his ankles with her feet, and using his own momentum, threw him over the rail. A similar fate fell on the other two sailors at the hands of the other bandits.

Within a blink of her eye, a dozen armed sailors were around the half-dozen bandits, swords swinging and clanking. But the bandits wove and ducked between them with such agility that, slowly but surely the number of sailors was dropping as the bandits flung them over the rail and into the sea.

Anna realized that despite their greater number, the sailors didn't stand a chance—these were merchants, crossing swords with men (and a woman) that probably spent their whole lives training for fights like this. The sailors probably didn't have any practice at all with swordplay. That meant it would be up to Anna to defend herself.

Anna grabbed one of the sabers that had been tossed yet unclaimed. She turned to the nearest bandit, a dark-haired man, with broad shoulders. Well, he wasn't as big as Hans, and she had managed to punch him over a boat without a problem. She held her sword forward and looked at the bandit. The crinkles below his eyes betrayed a smile hiding below his bandana. He held his sword forward and charged.

_Okay_, Anna thought,_ he's attacking with his sword in fourth-position. That means I'll swing from third position and it should parry his—_

_Clank!_ The bandit's sword bounced off hers.

_Hah! I can really do this! _Anna though, lifting her sword up for to deflect another swing. _Just like with a willow switch against a suit of—_

_Clank, clank, clank!_

The bandit's swings came much faster than she was used to from practicing against inanimate suits of armor. One more swing from the bandit's sword, sweeping from the left, knocked the saber out of her hand. She fell backward, looking at the rolling sea now filled with swimming sailors. Looking back up, she saw a thick hand reaching down for her shoulder. Was this it—was she a kidnapped princess now?

Before the hand reached her shoulder, a sword appeared between it and her. "Sorry sonny, but you ain't takin' no princess today."

"Decker!" Anna shouted.

He spared a quick backward glance to wink at her, then swung his sword at the bandit. The two locked blades for just a moment, until the Texan jumped and kicked against the stomach of the masked man, finishing a twisty backward roll before standing up in repose. The bandit was doubled over, one hand holding his stomach, but the other still holding his sword high. Decker charged at him, and again the two locked swords.

But only for a moment, until a bright orange flash jolted their way. Decker dropped his sword, yelling out a "Yeoouch!" The sword lay on the deck, smoking. Anna looked in the direction the flash came from to see Kjerstin with one hand outstretched and the other holding a red crystal around her neck. There was something familiar with that crystal … with its persistent glow, it looked eerily similar to the ones the rock trolls wore.

"Very valiant, my dear sir," Kjerstin began, relaxing her posture. "And might I congratulate you for being the only sailor not currently in the water. But the ship is ours."

Anna stood up and looked around. It was true, the only people left on the deck were the seven bandits, herself, Decker, and Olaf—who still had that seagull on his shoulder, and a terrified look on his face.

"Johno," Kjerstin continued. "Drop a life-raft for our waterlogged prisoners. I think our Bandit Queen would find them excellent new recruits."

_Squaaaak! _The seagull had taken flight, but the sound had come from Olaf. Anna ran over and gave him the warmest hug she could.

"Oh, Olaf," she said, the beginnings of tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I think … I think we've become kidnapped."

"It's okay." Olaf replied. "Scuttle's going to get help."


	6. Chapter 6: Gerda's Story

**A/N: I'm not sure why my computer decided to "puke all over this chapter" last night (thanks to ****omaomae ****for pointing that out). But I'm pretty sure I fixed it this time.**

Chapter 6: Gerda's Story

Kristoff sat in the seat of his new sled, with Sven curled in the grass beside him. The sled was filled with ice, but the two of them had decided to take a rest outside town before delivering their wares to the various warehouses and shops on the royal ice delivery list. They just needed a minute or two to collect their thoughts. Kristoff's thoughts were largely on a certain someone sailing to Denmark, while Sven's were largely about the half-dozen of carrots crammed into the cup-holder. Before she left, Anna had given Sven one of her scarfs, telling him that autumn meant scarf weather, and even reindeer needed to keep warm.

It had been a long day on frozen lake, but a good one. After a hard day's labor, Kristoff normally would have been able to look at the ice-packed sled with and been too exhausted to muster any feeling but pride in his work. But not today. His body was fatigued but his mind was restless. He decided to grab his lute and see if he could ease his mind with a tune.

_Pling-ding-ding_

Sven looked up when he heard the familiar notes—he knew he would be part of this song. Kristoff picked out a couple chords then began singing,

"_Reindeers have it pretty easy, _

_when you want to marry the One_

_No need for a scene, or to fear a snow queen_

_Just find the right girl and you're done_."

Sven looked at his pal with a bit of irritation in his eyes. That last line was supposed to be his; didn't Kristoff know how their duet worked? Also, was this going to be another of Kristoff's whining rants about how he didn't know how to pop the question to Anna? Sven let out a small "hrmph," but Kristoff continued:

"_But I find myself in a quandary, _

_that leaves me feeling like my gut's in my toes"_

Sven gave Kristoff a look that conveyed just how tired he was about always hearing about the blond's apprehension with engagement. Kristoff gave a voice to that look:

_"Stop being a sissy—go talk to your missy._

_It's time to man up and propose." _

"I know Sven. But I'm sure she's expecting jewelry and fanfare, and a show of lights, and … I mean, she was raised in a castle. I'm sure she has some high expectations."

Sven snorted in response, and looked toward the tall tower of Arendelle castle, where the Queen's study was.

"Yeah, I've talked to her sister," Kristoff answered. "At least, I got her blessing. But instead of giving me any ideas, now she's got her expectations raised pretty high too. I mean, her only sister—her _heir_—marrying an icer… I'm gonna have to step up pretty high to meet …" Kristoff gazed at the tower, which was topped with a large snowflake. "And to be honest, the Queen still makes me kind of uncomfortable, like I'm not fancy enough, or prudent enough, or if I say the wrong thing, she'll go all ice crazy and …"

His thought was interrupted by a long "_Squaaaaaaaaack!"_ as a seagull fell out of the sky and landed in the passenger seat of his sled.

"Hey, bird. Shoo. These are my carrots," Kristoff said, waving at the bird, then hastily adding, "And Sven's carrots. Not your carrots."

The bird replied with a, "_Trrk, trrk, cwaaaah! Wah yah yahhh!"_

Kristoff turned to look at Sven, expecting to see the reindeer in attack position, ready defend his veggies. But instead Sven had his eyes wide with disbelief, shifting his eyes between the seagull and Kristoff, listening closely to every noise the bird made.

"Harrf!" Sven replied, "Harrf, harrf!" each grumble rising in urgency.

"Okay, what's going on here?" Kristoff asked, looking between the two animals.

"Harrf!" Sven answered, and then started running toward the town, with the seagull flying close to his head.

Kristoff looked at the ropes connecting the running reindeer and the sitting sled, as the chords became taught. He barely had time to brace himself and his lute before the three of them were dashing at break-neck speed. Down the hill. Into town. Through the castle courtyard gate. Finally to the castle doors themselves.

* * *

Kai was on his way up from the kitchens towards the Queen's study. He wanted to check with her, and make _absolute_ sure, that she really wanted the first dinner she would eat as queen without her sister present, that she _really_ wanted it to be all the leftover chocolate pies from the Buckthorn festival.

"Tonight I don't have to set a good example to my headstrong sister," she had told him earlier. "And tonight, I feel like chocolate pies—specifically _all_ the chocolate pies."

Previously Kai had dismissed that, assuming that the head chef would never get behind such an absurd dinner menu. That's why, when he visited the kitchens and saw chocolate pie slices arranged in rows upon rows, he stopped dead in his tracks and let his jaw drop. Twisting on his heels, he performed an about-face and started marching straight up towards the topmost tower. This was not a confrontation he would look forward to, but _somebody_ had to tell the queen she couldn't have chocolate pie for dinner.

As he passed the entrance hall, he could see there was some sort of commotion at the door. He sighed thinking, _one crisis to another, it's always the job of faithful butler, _and walked to the entrance. The royal Ice Master, Kristoff was standing there, along with his reindeer. Kai had always liked Kristoff—the ice man's humble roots reminded Kai of his own. But he had a protocol to follow in the palace.

"Mister Bjorgman," Kai began. "You know the rules. Your reindeer welcome to the castle grounds, but he is not allowed in the castle. And if you wish visit the queen," he added, wrinkling his nose, "you will need another bath."

"No," Kristoff grunted, holding to Sven's neck and trying to keep the massive animal from forcing its way into the hall. "Not here to see the queen. Sven's just been acting weird ever since this bird…"

That's when Kai noticed the seagull flying around over Kristoff's head. The door guard was waiving a spear at it, trying to keep it outside. The seagull squeaked and croaked, but Kai could sense there was magnitude behind the bird's calls. He grabbed the door guard by the shoulder and told him in a rushed whisper, "Go. Find Gerda. Now."

As the guard rushed down the hallway, Kai turned to the bird. "Now, if you wait here, help will be here shortly."

* * *

Gerda cautiously made her way to the entrance hallway, not sure what to make of the guard's out-of-breath explanation of a mad seagull. As she neared the doorway, she heard Kai and Kristoff talking.

"And she can really talk to birds?"

"It's a magic she possessed since she was little. Certain flowers will talk to her too. And reindeer."

"_Reindeer_?"

"Only the ones that want to talk to me," Gerda answered as she came into view. "Your friend Sven, it seems is content to—"

She was cut off by a screech from the seagull. She turned to the bird, a look of surprise and panic across her face. "What?"

The bird screeched again. "Where? By who? How do you know?" She didn't even wait for a squack in answer before turning and running up the hallway towards the tower, with the seagull following close behind.

Kai could tell from the look on Gerda's face that today was not a day to worry about protocol. He moved out of Sven's way, and the reindeer and its master dashed up the hall as well. He started running until he was level with Gerda. "What's happened," He asked between panting breaths. "What did the bird say?"

"It's Anna. She's been kidnapped."

* * *

Elsa was sitting in her study, a stack of papers that still needed her signature towered high on the left side of her desk and a much smaller but still formidably tall stack of papers already signed on her right. She sure hoped that Louis the Governor was right that she only had to face paper piles this tall because the regional kingdoms were still excited at the novelty of having a new monarch on the throne of Arendelle—that soon enough she wouldn't get nearly as many royal requests of this or that, and a new routine would settle in.

Elsa added one more paper to the right-side pile and sighed. She looked at the small pile, and decided that it was big enough that she could reward herself with a break. She pulled out a small blank sheet of paper and started doodling on it. First a cartoony bouquet of roses, adding a few snowflakes to them, then someone holding the bouquet, then twin braids dropping down the back of that someone. Elsa was already getting excited for Anna's wedding, and Kristoff hadn't even asked her yet. That boy had better hurry up! Maybe she should revoke his official Ice Master status until he did.

Elsa heard Kai's voice outside her office and quickly hid her sketch. "Hello Kai," she began as he dove into the doorway. "Gerda… Krisoff? _Sven? _What's going on here? Why is there a bird in the royal-"

"That's Scuttle," Gerda answered. "He was on your sister's ship—oh, Elsa, Anna's been kidnapped!"

At the mention of her sister's ship, Elsa's heartbeat started speeding up, and at the word _kidnapped_, it was positively racing. Frost began to form at her fingertips. "What?" was all she could manage.

At this, the bird started chirping, with Gerda translating. "The ship was hijacked and all the sailors taken prisoner. There was a small boat with seven of the kidnappers on board. One of them could shoot fire out of her hands. They all wore bandanas over their faces, and the girl with the fire magic said they were the Boreal…" Gerda stopped her story to chirp a question at Scuttle. When he nodded, she finished "… the Boreal Bandits."

"The Boreal Bandits… You know of them?" Elsa asked.

"I lived with them." Gerda answered. "For a short time. Long ago. It was during the summer that I rescued Kai." She looked at the butler. "Did your parents ever tell you the story?"

Elsa shook her head.

"Well, when Kai and I were young, he was kidnapped by an enchantress, and I ventured out of the kingdom to save him. My first stop was with a sorceress who lived near the mouth of the river—she was the one who gifted me with the power to talk with flowers, although she also tried to magically wipe my memory. When I escaped her, a raven told me to visit the palace of a princess in one of the inland kingdoms to the north. When I escaped the palace, I was accosted by the Bandits. I managed to befriend one of the young bandit girls, who set me free and even gave me a reindeer to ride to Lapland." Gerda thought for a moment and frowned, before continuing, "but none of the bandits had magic."

Scuttle squacked and clucked again.

"No, they didn't have any Bandit Queen then either," Gerda answered. "I wonder—could they be in league with the sorceress from the river. Could she be this Bandit Queen?"

Elsa's eyes were wide again. "Where… where did you say this sorceress lived?"

"At the mouth of the river," Gerda answered. "I don't think there are roads that go to her cottage, but we can follow the stream—"

Elsa didn't let her finish. Her heart raced again, but not out of apprehension. Now it raced with a dreadful purpose—find that sorceress. Get her sister back.

Elsa dashed out the door.


	7. Chapter 7: To the Trolls

Chapter 7: To the Trolls

Kristoff hardly registered the blue blur race past him out the door before a chilled wind slammed it shut. He tried the door, only to find ice jamming the lock. Ever since he first laid eyes on Elsa's imposing fortress of isolation on the North Mountain, he knew she was the sort of person who preferred to work alone. But now Anna was in trouble, and he wouldn't sit idly by.

"Hey Sven, give me a hand."

Sven walked up to the door, pawed at it a couple times with his front legs to gauge its strength, then turned about and gave it a fierce two-legged back kick. Splinters flew around the frozen bolt as the rest of the mass of the door slammed open. Krsitoff gave Kai a brief bow, saying "Sorry about breaking your castle," before dashing down the hall after Elsa, Sven following at his heels.

The man and his reindeer caught up with the Queen as she was dashing out of the courtyard, turning in the direction of the river. "Where do you think you're going?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa was clearly out of breath just from the run out of the castle, and had slowed down to a walk before answering. "I'm going to find my _sister. _You heard Gerda. The Bandits learned magic, so I'm going to find this sorceress."

"You think Anna is with the sorceress just because the Bandits know how to make fireballs?"

Elsa's only reply was with a cold glare, which grew frost on the tips of Kristoff's exposed blond hair.

Kristoff wiped the icicles off before went on, "All we know about the sorceress is that she taught Gerda to talk to flowers. That doesn't sound much like fire magic to me."

Elsa shot him another cold glare before breaking into a run again. "I see. And you are some sort magic expert?"

Despite the tension of the moment Kristoff wanted to chuckle. He had nearly this exact conversation with Anna the first day they met. "Not me, but I've got friends that are. And they don't live that way." He though back to the first time he met his family, remembering the trail of ice that led him to the Valley of Living Rock. "In fact, you've met them before."

Elsa's eyes were still tight in a glare, but when she saw Kristoff, her eyes widened with realization. "The trolls…"

"I think Grand Pabbie may have some insight. Why don't you hop on Sven. It'll be faster."

"You take Sven," Elsa answered. "I've got a better idea."

She brought her hands together into a ball of air that glowed blue, then threw it toward the ground. The glowing ball flattened outward and twisted on the soil, like a puddle freshly spilt onto the floor. Raising her arms up, the glowing ice took shape—legs stepping out of the puddle, a long cervine torso topped with an elongated head and snout. From above the ears, a pair of icicles grew and branched outward. Finally, the glow on the ground evaporated, and a reindeer of ice and snow stared back at Kristoff.

Both Kristoff and Sven's mouths dropped.

Elsa smiled at this, then climbed on her mount. "I take it you like her? I suppose we'll have to come up with a name for her eventually." The queen and her snowdeer dashed up the road pointing east of the North Mountain, but after a few yards, turned and came back. "I think you had better lead the way, Mr. Bjorgman. I've only been to the Valley once, a long while ago."

Kristoff was slowly regaining control of his jaw, but had enough to say, "Sure. Follow me." He climbed onto Sven, and with a "Hya!" headed off at a gallop northward toward the Valley of Living Rock.

* * *

The Bandit Queen sat with her eyes closed, holding on to the last fragments of her latest vision. So, the queen of Arendelle had found out about Anna, and now had summoned a snowdeer to take her northward? With her eyes still closed, the Bandit Queen thought about the icy mount—it was a thing of beauty, with the setting sun dancing off frosted fur and the forest refracting through its antlers. But as she opened her eyes, she remembered that the animal was the product of a devious magic that could freeze a person's heart.

It wouldn't matter if Elsa was after Kjerstin's and Anna. Arendelle's queen would never find them up here.

The Bandit Queen looked down the glacial valley—snow-covered and lit only by the Northern Lights. The sun was just setting in Arendelle, but up here it had set hours earlier. Soon this valley would be engulfed in the polar night. Would the fortress be ready by then? She turned to look at the rising towers of rock and snow. To her they still looked like the derelict skeleton of something that once was grand, left decaying by two decades of disuse. With work it could be beautiful, but all she could see now was an ugly scar on the frozen valley.

The men would simply have to work harder. And she knew how to persuade them. She stood and turned to the camp, and as she walked, the whites of her eyes crystallized outward into blue sapphires.

* * *

Within an hour, the four had reached the Valley of Living Rock. Sven was panting heavily from the run, but the snowdeer simply stood.

Kristoff and Elsa walked into the middle of the boulder field. "So, I know you've met them before," Kristoff began. "But, uh, I should probably warn you that the rock trolls tend to…"

He was interrupted by a deep rumbling noise as a dozen boulders unwound themselves into trolls, staring intently at the two humans. Then one finally shouted. "Kristoff's back!"

A second troll added, "And he's brought _another_ girl!"

A third troll, with white flowers growing from her mossy hair and a dozen red crystals around her neck, rolled up. "Hey, what happened to that girl with the red hair with white stripes? I liked her."

"Hi Bulda," Kristoff answered. "That was Anna. She's in trouble. This is her sister Elsa. We have to save her, but we need Grand Pabbie's help."

A murmur went through the valley, as even more rocks unrolled themselves and started whispering, "Elsa?" "The Queen?" "The snow queen is here?" The whispers only ended when a larger, older-looking boulder rolled slowly through the crowd.

Grand Pabbie unrolled from his rock, and looked up to Elsa, before quickly bowing. "My Queen…" he began.

Elsa felt a torrent of emotion. This rock was the reason she had spent her adolescence in isolation. His words, just a warning of the danger of her powers, led her to be separated from her sister all those years. He had told her to learn to control her powers, but not _how_ to. He warned her of fear, but didn't realize that the separation would make _her_ fear her powers. Elsa wanted to hate him, for hiding the truth, for letting herself and her Papa believe that locking the girls away was the right course, for …

But she looked at the old troll and only saw a great sadness in his eyes. She let him continue.

"My queen. We trolls don't hear much of the world at large anymore, confined as we are to this valley. But it filled me with great sadness when Kristoff told us that the castle gates had been closed all those years ago. I knew it was the wrong course, but there was nothing I could … I sorry. So very sorry." He looked down again.

Elsa tried to smile, but it faltered. "I … I want to be mad at you for your part in all that, and maybe I will eventually. But right now there is something more important. Anna has been kidnapped."

Kristoff leaned in and added, "By bandits."

"With magic," Elsa continued.

"Fire magic," Kristoff finished. "We were hoping you knew something about that."

"Fire magic?" Pabbie asked, then turned and looked at the ground before anyone could answer. "So the Boreal Bandits learned how to use our crystals."

"You know about the Boreal Bandits?" Kristoff asked.

"They raided this valley twice. The first time five years ago, they were in such a state of disarray, we managed to fend them off. But they escaped with one of Pebble's blue crystals."

A small troll girl rolled up, showing off her necklace, which sure enough had a blue crystal torn from it.

"We saw them again two years ago. The second time, they had a new leader, their Bandit Queen. And she had a power…. It was a strange magic. She could see … could see what we were doing when she shouldn't have. She could see through our eyes whenever we used our magic. I have seen that power only once." He paused and looked up at the sky. It was a dark blue with a few stars starting to appear, a cloudless autumn evening.

Kristoff nodded, encouraging the old Troll to continue his story.

"Do you know, Elsa, how your powers of ice and snow came to this world?"

Elsa frowned and shook her head, not sure what this had to do with the Bandit Queen.

"It was a drop of the moon, fallen down from the sky." Pabbie swayed his hands into the air, and smoke flew upward. As it settled, it formed the scene of a troll on the pinnacle of a large mountain, as if talking with the sky.

"Long, long ago when the world was much younger, the sky was closer to the ground. Back then, drops of the sun and moon used to drip down on the earth. On nights when the Northern Lights glowed, we trolls could climb the highest mountain and touch the lights. Eventually we learned to bottle the light in these crystals. That was the source of our magic." The image changed to the troll scooping yellow light into a crystal, then stringing it around its neck.

"This was a much younger age, and some of us trolls were not the … best … characters. We fashioned a mirror out of a perfectly smooth pond that had been frozen by a moondrop." The image showed a handful of trolls slowly excavating ice from a pond. "We wanted to use it to see as the sky saw—see through the eyes of the sun and moon. But we trolls were never meant to create magic, merely to bottle it, merely to use it. We tried as best we could, but the magic in the mirror was corrupted. We had made it so that whenever we looked through the ice, we would only see the ugly side of anything that was reflected."

Elsa tightened her eyes, trying to guess where the story would go. Growing up, she had heard the fairytale of the Troll's Mirror before, although it was always wrapped in a silly morality tale tried to use to blackmail her and her sister into using good manners at dinnertime.

Pabbie continued, "Then, one among us though he should consult the sky, see if the heavens could cure our mirror. He took it to the top of the tallest mountain on a dark, moonless night and showed the stars their corrupted reflection." Pabbie's illuminated images changed to reflect the story. "But the sky was appalled by what it saw. Immediately the moon rose, and showered a torrent of moondrops. They broke the mirror into a million shards, some no bigger than a grain of sand. So offended were the heavens, that they moved far, far above the earth—never to share their magic again."

"The moondrops carried … ice powers?" Elsa asked.

"Indeed. In that torrent, one of the first Kings of Arendelle was struck in heart with a moondrop. That is how ice magic first came to your line, Elsa—from the moondrops that had already fallen. And they are not the only magic that remains from that storm. I fear that this Bandit Queen has found one of the shards of the mirror. That is how she could see through magic eyes."

Kristoff frowned. His family never told him they had been raided by bandits in the past—twice! And although story time with Grand Pabbie had been one of his favorite things growing up, he wasn't sure how this story helped them find Anna.

"Grand Pabbie," Elsa began. "Gerda told us about a sorceress who lives at the headwaters of the river. Could she be the one with the mirror's shard?"

"This I know not," the troll answered. "What I do know is there are not many in these lands who know magic. If this woman is a sorceress and found a shard of the mirror, then there is a good chance she is the one who led the raid on us two years ago."

* * *

The Bandit Queen was interrupted by another vision, this one of images in smoke, and a view from two feet off the ground of Elsa and the ice man. So, they had gone to the trolls.

**A/N: Lady reindeer totally have antlers-I read it on Wikipedia so you know it's legit. Also, what should we name Elsa's snowdeer? 'Cause I've got plans for that character... such plans.**


	8. Chapter 8: Defying Gravity

Chapter 8: Defying Gravity

Anna was still hugging Olaf.

Decker and the other sailors were chained up and locked in the brig below deck. Kjerstin and her bandits were working about the riggings, trying to set new sails to replace the burnt ones. A makeshift rudder had been fashioned out of oars. They truly had taken the ship. The question now was _where_ were they taking it?

Anna studied the coastline. It was broken up in a series of rocky islands covered in dense forests. Half the trees were evergreen, the other half still turning golden. Anna didn't recognize any of the islands, having still never had the chance to wander further than the Northern Valleys of Arendelle. But the islands were certainly a beautiful sight sitting in shimmering water that reflected bright orange clouds in the last grips of the sunset.

In fact they were perhaps too beautiful not to try to escape to.

Anna leaned in to where she supposed Olaf's ears were and whispered, "Okay, here's the plan. As soon as nobody is looking, we'll dive in the water and swim for that nearest island."

Olaf looked up and replied in a whisper, "Good plan. But I don't think I'd make it swimming 'cause Kristoff told me that snowmen melt in the water."

Anna frowned, and sat down, thinking up a new plan. "Okay, how 'bout I dive into the water, and in all the pandemonium you steal a life-raft and we both paddle back to Arendelle."

Just then, Kjerstin walked up. "Oh, you wouldn't make it back to Arendelle in a wooden boat, Princess," she said, while squeezing the fire crystal and igniting a swath of air above her hand.

Anna shot her a contemptuous glare. "It's rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations."

"And it's rude to conspire to run away from such gracious hosts as we," Kjerstin replied.

"Hosts? I don't' think kidnappers count as hosts." Anna tried to put all the venom she could muster in her response, but still felt like a kitten swiping at a grown hound.

"Kidnappers? My dear princess, you have it wrong. We are your rescuers!"

That statement caught Anna off guard. She looked to Kjerstin, who continued, "We're rescuing you from the Ice Witch of Arendelle."

Venom returned to Anna's voice. "Hey, my sister is not a—"

She was cut off as Kjerstin went on, "In fact, we're going beyond rescuing you. We're adopting you."

"First off," Anna replied, "I'm 18, so I'm an adult and you can't adopt me."

Olaf cut in with, "I'm only 3 months old, so you could probably adopt me."

Kjerstin ignored the snowman, and answered, "Eighteen, perhaps. But you are also a Princess of Arendelle, and princesses come of age at 21."

Olaf didn't appear to mind that he was being ignored, and went on, "but I don't know what the custody laws are for snowmen. I mean I've seen a few ones just standing around, and they couldn't have been more than a couple hours old."

Kjerstin continued, "So until such time, we are taking you as a ward of the Bandit Queen."

Olaf continued his monologue, "And I never thought to ask them where their parents are."

Anna's eyes darted to the shoreline again. Night was falling and it was getting cold. She could easily freeze to death if she tried to swim for it. So she had better make the best of this situation. "Tell me about this Bandit Queen."

"And that one time I went down to the beach and made a _sandman,_ and then I just _left it there. _Oh, no! Was that reckless abandonment?"

Kjerstin frowned, saying, "You'll meet her soon enough."

"Oh, Anna," Olaf wailed into the hem of her skirt. "I abandoned the sandman, and now I'm going to jail"

The snowman's rant was finally starting to annoy Kjerstin. She looked down at the stacked snow, and answered, "That can be arranged. Johno, take Olaf to the brig." A bandit emerged from a shadowy corner and grabbed Olaf's twig arm, pulling him away.

"Wait!" Anna called. Johno paused and turned back to look at her. "If I'm the ward of this Bandit Queen, that makes me the Bandit Princess. And your Princess says that you will leave Olaf with me."

Johno looked at Kjerstin, who shrugged in reply. So he let the snowman go, and disappeared back into the shadows.

"Furthermore," Anna went on, "You will release the Texan Decker. He is on a diplomatic mission and is in my care."

Kjerstin nodded at the shadow that Johno disappeared into. A moment later, Anna heard the opening and shutting of the door heading below deck.

Anna wondered, was this Bandit Princess thing actually working? Could she command Kjerstin? Worth a try. "And lastly, release the rest of the crew, too!"

Kjerstin wore the same look Sven used to wear. Without saying anything, she conveyed the thought, _Don't press your luck princess_.

"At least tell me where we're going."

"To the Queen's new castle on the Isle of Spitsbergen."

Anna mulled this over. "Spitsbergen," she repeated. The name sounded familiar. Wait, could it really be… "Spitsbergen!? In the Arctic Ocean?"

Kjerstin gave a brief nod.

"It'll take us weeks to sail there!"

"Perhaps it would. That's why we're not sailing."

The ship was pulling into one of the islands' coves, with tall trees hardly visible in the darkening twilight. In the distance, at the end of the inlet the lights of an encampment could be seen—campfire light dancing against the pines above. And something else, tall and bulbous, sat in the middle of the camp. Anna briefly saw it—was it some sort of weird bandit tent? But that wasn't her biggest concern.

"I would take even longer on carriages," Anna said. "If we're not sailing, how do you expect to get to—"

She was cut off at the sound of the door behind her opening. Decker stood on deck, mouth agape.

"We're flying." He answered.

* * *

Decker could hardly believe it, as he walked off the gangplank, into the bandit's camp. He didn't need to go down to France. He had found a ballooner, and was going to fly. True, in his ideal scenario he would have his wrists shackled behind him, and he wouldn't be marching at knife-point with bandits herding him onward. But that hardly mattered—he had found a balloon. Now he had to ensure he could fly on it.

He heard the captain of their captors talking about … something. He couldn't make out her Finnish. But the snowman was still skittering about, apparently unchained.

"Psst, little snow feller," Decker whispered in Olaf's direction.

"Decker!" Olaf exclaimed. So much for whispering.

"You wanna fill me in on what's goin' on? Why am I out and about while the rest of the ship is still in the brig?"

"Anna says you're on a diplomatic mission with her. Apparently she's a bandit princess now. So you'd better watch your belt buckle, because I'm pretty sure that's the first thing she's going to want to steal."

Kjerstin was already in the basket below the balloon, pulling Anna behind her. She waved at the pair of bandits leading Decker. Soon he joined them. The basket was getting crowded with the three of them already. Would more of these bandits be joining them? He doubted it as he saw his two escorts walking away.

"Cut the ropes!" Kjerstin called. Three masked men appeared out of the shadows and began the process of untying the dozen thick chords holding the balloon to the ground. Olaf apparently thought this looked like fun, so he joined in the process of untying.

"Wait! Olaf is coming with us!" Anna replied, adding "Princess's orders!"

Olaf looked up, then started running to the basket, his snow flurry following him.

"Fine." Kjerstin said as Olaf joined the three aeronauts. She called down to the shadows where the bandits laid in wait. "Now cut the ropes. If we have the wind on our side, you'll have the same wind for your boats. So don't tarry—polar night will set in within the week up there, and sailing through the ice is far more dangerous than flying over it."

As the last cord was untied, the basket slowly lifted off the ground. Kjerstin let go of the fire crystal, closed her eyes, and squeezed the green crystal.

Curious jewelry, Decker thought. But he could forgive the bandit her fashion senses, just as he forgave her for kidnapping him, and even for kidnapping Anna and Olaf. They were flying.

"We've got a long ride ahead of us, Princess," Kjerstin said. "You may want to try to get some sleep. You too, Decker—that is if Texans sleep."

Was that supposed to be an insult? Decker didn't care. And of course he was far too tired to sleep. He would finally be able to live his dream. To soar with the majestic eagles. To dance with the nimble zephyrs. To recline on the soft cumulus. And of course, to escape the heat of the land.

* * *

As dawn was breaking, Kjerstin squeezed the fire crystal in her left hand, holding her right above her head. With an oppressive blast of heat and deafening _whoosh_, a torch flamed off over her head, into the balloon above. Decker winced, and started feeling the back of his head to make sure no more hair had been singed off with _that_ torch blast. His stuck his hands into the sides of the sleeping snowman to cool them off.

Over the past twelve hours of flight his elation had slowly dwindled. There were no eagles, or even seagulls to dance on the breezes with. In fact, he couldn't even feel a breeze. The balloon was moving along, high above the world, so Decker reasoned, there must be a breeze to push it. But it was pushing the balloon too well, so they couldn't even feel it.

The view from high above the Norweigen woods was magnificent, but after so long, was becoming monotonous. Another endless stretch of trees. Another lake. Decker had tried to take Kjerstin's advice and tried to lay down to get some shut-eye, but the basket was too cramped, and jagged ends of the wicker weave stabbed at his back. The cockpit was grossly uncomfortable. No shut-eye, then.

No clouds to recline on either. The balloon passed through what from below looked like the softest, fluffiest patch of silk in the sky. But as they flew into it, up close, the cloud dissolved into a mist—no more reclinable than a bank of fog.

Worst of all was the nearly continuous barrage of fireballs Kjerstin shot into the balloon. Cruel heat and earsplitting noise, worse than his brief time working artillery in the war for independence.

Was this really what flying is like? "Well," he said to nobody in particular. "That's disappointing."


	9. Chapter 9: The Old Woman Who Knew Magic

Chapter 9—The Old Woman Who Knew Magic

"I told you, we should have gone straight to this sorceress!" Elsa shouted at Kristoff. She was riding her snowdeer at a full gallop while he and Sven tried to keep up. She wasn't sure he had heard him, but she didn't care. She needed to get to the river, and follow it upstream, to wherever that led. They were nearing the river, but she still felt a sting for every second that she knew her sister was in the clutches of notorious bandits. She urged more speed out of her mount.

"Hold on Elsa!" Kristoff was calling from behind her. "Real reindeer can't keep up this pace."

She looked back. "Then you'll just have to find me at the lair of the sorceress," she shouted, and rode onward, leaving man and reindeer behind.

Kristoff could feel ribbons of sweat on the side of Sven's neck. "Easy there buddy," he said as he let the deer slow to a stop. "We don't have to catch her. We can walk a bit. But only a little bit."

Sven panted for a few moments. The answered in a strangely Kristoff-like voice, "We won't be able to help Anna if we die of exhaustion."

"Okay buddy. We can walk for more than a bit."

Sven panted some more.

"Have I been putting on weight? I thought a run like that shouldn't leave you _that_ tired. Unless we're hauling some..." Kristoff poked at the saddle bag on Sven's side, and was surprised to see it wiggle in response.

"Hey!" the bag shouted, in a high-pitched voice. "That tickles!"

"Pebble? What are you doing here?"

A small troll girl popped her head out of the saddle bag. "I'm saving Anna, just like you!"

"I thought you couldn't leave the valley."

"Oh, yeah that rule is just for Grand Pabbie. I think he is in some sort of prison, cause the sky is still mad at him for the mirror thing. The rest of us _can_ leave the valley, we just don't, cause it would be rude to leave him behind. But now, I can tell you need me!"

"Look, Pebble. I appreciate the gesture. But I need to hurry to this sorceress, and you're kind of weighing us down."

Pebble looked up at Kristoff, her eyes big and starting to water. "You mean you don't want me?"

"No, hey. I mean … we'll need you as a reserve, for the element of surprise! Elsa will be the first wave against the sorceress, then me and Sven, then you!"

"Great! I can definitely be the element of surprise! Okay, you guys run off, then I'll catch up at the sorceress's cottage."

"Yeah, in fact, I think we'll take off now!" Kristoff started down the path at a run, leading Sven. The reindeer gave him a distasteful look, clearly not happy with the length of their walking break.

"Look, Sven, the love of my life is in danger, so I'd kind of like to hurry. It should be a lot easier going without a boulder in our saddlebag."

Sven still wasn't happy.

"Besides, if we run now, we might catch up to Elsa and her snow reindeer. And I saw how you looked at that snowdeer. I can tell you like her."

Sven turned his head in embarrassment, then trying to change the subject, scooped Kristoff up and broke into a gallop.

* * *

The pair found Elsa by the river. The queen was hunched down, crying into her hands. The snowdeer was nowhere to be found.

Elsa looked up when she heard Sven and Kristoff's approach. "I pushed her too hard. The snow—it wasn't made to gallop like that. My reindeer … she fell apart. I put her back together, but once complete, she bolted into the woods, and left me … alone." She dropped her face into her hands again.

"Hey, it's … uh … it's okay." Kristoff said. He wasn't sure what to do—should he try to comfort the Queen? While he hesitated, Sven snuck up to her and nuzzled his nose under her arm.

"I thought I had such control over my powers. That no matter what power this sorceress has, I have my ice, and it would be more powerful. But now, I don't … my ice tried to run away from me."

"No, hey. That was just an ice deer, and even I've had Sven try to run away if I try to make him run too hard. But he always comes back. Isn't that right buddy?"

With an affirming _herumph_ from Sven, Kristoff went on. "In the meantime, you're still the queen of the ice and snow. I'm sure we can take anything some sorceress has. So, come on. Let's go find this sorceress. Let's go find Anna."

Elsa gave him a weak smile.

"You can ride Sven," Kristoff offered.

"I've got a better idea," Elsa replied. Again, she put her hands together conjuring an icy blue ball. She threw it on the ground, and as it spread, the outline of a sled formed. Lifting her arms up, the ice took shape into a two-person sled, with long icy runners.

"Whoa." Was all Kristoff could reply.

Sven sniffed the sled, and then gave it a lick. Happy with the result, he started jumping up and down.

* * *

The trio followed the river upstream, to the East. For miles, the wound through the yellowing woods. Orange leaves crunched under Sven's feet. In fact, it seemed to Elsa that he was going out of his way to stomp the crunchiest looking leaves. But up ahead, the woods looked different. The trees and grass were still green. It looked like there were even flowers. Was this the work of the sorceress? She saw smoke climbing above the trees, so there must be a cottage in this strange summer forest.

They brought the sled to a stop near a picket fence that circled the cottage. Walking toward the gate was an old woman, with shoulder length white hair, adorned with flowers. She wore a sundress and sandals.

Kristoff unhooked Sven from his sled, then whispered. "Why don't you go find Elsa's snowdeer. I have a feeling we'll need her soon." With a nod, Sven ran off.

"Well, when the bluebird told me the Queen was coming, I didn't realize she was bringing her Ice Master too," the old woman said.

"Who are you? Where's Anna?" Kristoff shouted at her. "Also, how do you know who I am?"

"Well aren't you inquisitive. I know who you are because everyone in these woods knows the story of the ice man who stole the princess's heart. And your princess is in another castle, I'm afraid. As to whom I am, all you need to know is that I am the sovereign of this estate." She gestured to the greenery around her.

Elsa studied the gardens. There were patches of tulips on one side of the cottage, rosebushes on the other. All around were the smells of summer. She even heard the buzz of bees, dancing between the flowers.

"Your garden is immaculate," she said to the old woman. "And it is clear you are an enchantress of summer. But I am an enchantress of winter." At this line, she held up her hand and let a half dozen coin-sized snowflakes erupt out. "So from a flower queen to the Snow Queen—can you help us find my sister?"

"Ha! Snow Queen?" The old woman turned to her rosebush. "You hear that Rosie, she fancies herself the Snow Queen."

Turning back to her two visitors, she went on. "No, you are just a girl who can make ice. Look at these bees. They answer to their queen. Can you command all of the bees of snow? No. There is only one Snow Queen, the largest snowflake of all—the last descendent of Negagfok, the monarch of all of winter. She who directs the snow clouds. She who calls the sleet and slush. She who lives in her ice and stone palace in the frosty islands of Svalbard, guarded by the white bears, a thousand miles north. She who…"

The old woman stopped, and listened to the still air. In the distance was a birdsong. The old woman focused on it. "No … She doesn't live there. She hasn't been seen in over two decades, not since the storm that flattened her palace. But the palace is … being rebuilt?" She closed her eyes to listen harder to the birdsong. "Being rebuilt to accommodate … your princess!"

Elsa's eyes went wide. "Come on Kristoff, we're going to Svalbard."

"Oh, I don't think you're going anywhere," The old woman answered, with a wave of her arm.

Elsa tugged at Kristoff's arm, but he stood without budging. "Come on!" she shouted at him. He just stared forward with a dumbfounded look on his face. What was wrong with him? They needed to leave this enchanted garden—they needed to save … who was it they needed to save? Elsa's thoughts were becoming muddy.

_Red hair,_ was all Elsa could remember. _We need to …_ what did they need to do with red hair? Braid it? She looked around. Nobody here had red hair. Elsa closed her eyes, trying to focus her mind. _Red… _was all she remembered. There was something important she needed to do with something red. She opened her eyes. _Red roses? Don't they look lovely. I should smell them. _

Elsa smiled and, walking up to the roses, gave them a sniff. "Your roses smell lovely," she said to the sorceress.

"Thank you," she replied. "I think you'll enjoy being my guest. I'm glad you decided to stay."

* * *

It seemed like she was marching forever, but by daybreak, Pebble had made it to the strange summer garden in the autumn woods. She knocked on the picket gate surrounding the cottage.

"Pebble!" Kristoff called as he opened the gate. "You made it! Oh, man. You're going to love this place. It's as warm as one of the steam vents, and the flowers are so fragrant, and our hostess is the loveliest lady, and just look at the cherries growing in that tree, and…"

He was rambling. That wasn't strange for Kristoff, but wasn't he supposed to be on a mission? Why was he so distracted by this summer garden, Pebble wondered. Kristoff led his small rocky sister down a rocky path, around the corner of the cottage to a small table where Elsa sat with across from an old woman. Both were sipping at mugs of tea.

"Oh, yes I can really taste how the rosehips form such a compliment to the chamomile," Elsa was saying.

"Let me introduce you to our hostess, Hyacinth Gothel. Hyacinth, please meet my adoptive sister, Pebble."

The old woman, this Hyacinth, turned to look at Pebble. The young Troll could tell there was something off in the way she looked. A sneer hiding behind a smile, a look of hidden malice behind seemingly kind eyes.

"Well, Kristoff never told me he was part troll, but the more the merrier. You will be staying for tea," the old woman replied with a wave of her arms.

That was a strange gesture, Pebble thought. She answered the old woman with, "Um, I think tea time doesn't start until, like, a long time from now. Yeah, it's definitely breakfast time now."

The smile on the old woman was getting thinner as she replied, with another wave of her arms, "In my garden, it is always tea time."

Again with the weird gesture. "No. No, I'm pretty sure that tea time is only in the afternoon. And anyway, we have to all be going. We've got a princess to rescue."

The old woman's smile had completely evaporated by now, as had the kindness in her eyes. Her voice was cold and accusing as she asked, "What's that you're wearing around your neck? I feel like I've seen it before…"

"These?" Pebble lifted the blue crystals tied into her necklace. "These are memory stones."

Now Hyacinth's eyes widened in realization. "So that's how the Bandits could withstand…" she muttered to herself. Then, her smile returned as she turned to Elsa and said, "My dear, I'm afraid our newest guest is no longer welcome here, and will spoil the garden if she stays."

"Oh?" Elsa asked, turning to Pebble. "Run along then, miss. You shouldn't spoil other people's garden parties."

Pebble could see behind Elsa's eyes, where before there was a storm of passion for her mission to save Anna, now there was … nothing. She had seen this emptiness before, when Grand Pabbie was removing memories from sick patients. Elsa's memories were being stolen by this sorceress!

"No! I'm not leaving without you and Kristoff!" Pebble yelled.

Prompted by another wave of Hyacinth's arms, Elsa thrust out her hand. An icy blast hit Pebble full in the face. Instinctively she rolled up into a boulder, but as the icy wind kept hitting against her, she could feel herself rolling away along the rocky path, and out the gate. When she unrolled herself, she saw that the picket gate had been frozen over.

So, this sorceress had control over the minds of Elsa and Kristoff. Well, perhaps the mind could be persuaded, but Pebble knew that the heart was not so easy to take over by magic. And in their hearts, all either Elsa or Kristoff cared about was Anna. Pebble would just have to remind them somehow.

* * *

**Author's Note—A lot of the back-story in the past few chapters is from Hans Christian Anderson's _Snow Queen_, (which if you haven't read is worth the read, and free online), which in my story took place before _Frozen_. **

**Arnold Cunningham's Note—You mean the _Frozen_** **saga is actually a trilogy? And _Bandits from the North_ is Return of the Jedi? I'm interested.**

**Author's Note: That guy sounded an awful lot like Olaf.**


	10. Chapter 10: Notus' Lament

Chapter 10: Notus' Lament

Sven wasn't happy that he had been left out behind the picket gate when Kristoff and Elsa were strolling through the summer gardens. He would have liked to be able to munch on some of that green grass, maybe try a few of the flowers too.

That did, however, give him to opportunity to try to find Elsa's snowdeer. Sven had never seen a reindeer of such beauty before. Granted, he hadn't seen many other reindeer at all. The ice harvesters that Kristoff occasionally worked with preferred horses, and the woods around Arendelle were further south than most of the wild herds migrated.

Sven remembered a summer from maybe seven or eight years earlier, when he and Kristoff were on an adventure to find the purest ice in all of the Nordic Kingdoms. Looking back, it was just a silly quest that some crazy teenaged boy and his reindeer went on, but it had taken them farther north than he had ever been before. There was a rumor of a mountain range pocketed with caves, and in these caves were lakes that had never seen wind. If you found them by the first freeze of the autumn, you could harvest the smoothest, largest sheets of flawless ice that Mother Earth could muster.

The pair never did find the fabled caves, but they did find a heard of reindeer. Off in the distance, dozens of them were running through a moraine valley.

Sven looked at Kristoff, and hopped in place with excitement.

Kristoff answered with "Alright, buddy. I see them too. But me and the trolls are your family. You don't need to join a silly heard."

Sven gave him a disappointed frown, with big sad eyes.

"Hey, don't use that look on me! I invented that look! Alright, we'll find our big score in the ice caves, and then let's find you a reindeer heard to pal around with." He nudged Sven's ribs. "And I'll wager it's not the whole heard you're interested in, eh? Maybe just a couple of the does?"

Sven gave an embarrassed herumph, but of course Kristoff was right. But since they never found the caves, they never found the heard, and he had never seen another reindeer since. An opportunity for love, vanished.

Sven wouldn't let this opportunity with Elsa's snowdeer vanish as well. He struck out into the woods.

* * *

The ice and stone fortress on the island of Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago, was still being repaired, but her men had managed to clear enough of the debris that the Bandit Queen could climb a hidden staircase to the large open balcony above the entry way. The balcony offered an uninterrupted view south, down the valley and out to the sea. Somewhere, far south of them, Kjerstin was bringing her princess.

Through the magic of the blue crystals they had stolen from the trolls, she could talk with her captain, even though they were separated by hundreds of miles. It was a link of the minds, and allowed Kjerstin to hear her Queen's thoughts. But the Bandit Queen would also see from Kjerstin's eyes whenever she used any of the magic rocks around her neck, including the fire crystal, and during her ballooning flight, Kjerstin had been using the fire crystal regularly. And the Bandit Queen wasn't happy with what she saw. Their progress was too slow. They needed a boost. Fortunately, she had just the trick. Another of the crystals they had stolen from those abominable trolls, light amber in color, could command the wind.

The Bandit Queen reached into the hidden pocket in her vest and pulled out this crystal. She held her hands forward, and summoned a south wind, in a stream hundreds of miles long, to pull in Kjerstin and her guests. She could feel the resistance. The South Wind did not want to form such a channel. But the Bandit Queen didn't care. She squeezed the crystal tighter, pulling stronger gusts. Soon she could feel the temperature rise as the gusts carried warm air from a distant clime.

The walls lining the balcony were half ice brick, and she could see small drips forming along them, rivulets of meltwater running like tears along the surface. And even harder the crystal resisted. Well, if this would be the South Wind's Lament, then so be it. The South Wind came from such repulsive lands as the Southern Isles. Let it weep. It would bring her the princess.

* * *

"Oh, come on. You've gotta cheer up. Honestly, you're kind of being a downer on this whole balloon," Anna was telling Decker.

The Texan was curled up in a ball in one of the corners of the balloon's basket. He had been like that since early in the morning.

"Seriously, I know lack of sleep can make people cranky, but this is ridiculous."

"It ain't lack of sleep, Highness. It's … I can't describe it, but it's like … what's the point anymore."

"The point? The point you and I are the emissaries of major countries. We have patriotic duties to represent those lands, and oh, by the way, we're actively being kidnapped right now."

"I ain't no emissary. I'm just a guy who would do anythin' to chase my dream. And now I've found out that that dream was always a terrible idea."

"That's what this is about!? You're all mopey because you just realized that being in a balloon sucks? Let me tell you about-"

She was interrupted by another deafening fire blast set her ears ringing.

"You gotta' admit, it hardly leaves you jealous of birds."

Anna sat down next to Decker. "No, I'm serious let me tell you about … well, anything else. It's something my mother always used to do when I was a girl and realized that the dream I was chasing after was actually terrible. She'd tell me stories. And I chased a lot of terrible dreams, so I learned a lot of good stories."

Decker looked at her. He didn't look sad, but he wore a look of defeat on his face. The way this look sat in well-worn wrinkles—he must have worn this look of defeat many times in the past.

"Sure. Do whatcha want."

"Okay, well here's a story my mother used to tell me that always cheered me up: Okay, there was a swan, but it thought it was a duck, and it wasn't as cute as the other ducklings, because it was a swan!" She smiled and held her hands out in a _ta-da!_ gesture, but the smile drooped when she saw no response from Decker.

"Okay, maybe I didn't tell it right, so let me try again. Once there was a _duck_ that thought it _wasn't _a swan, but …"

"Appreciate the gesture highness. I'm guessin' story-tellin' ain't been your strong suit."

"No, that was always my mother's talent. When we were little, she would make up stories for me and Elsa. About red dragons from China, or talking lions from Africa, or toys that came to life. And then after Elsa … well, mother kept telling me a new story every night when I was a little kid."

"She sounds like she was a great mother."

"She was. And Papa was a great father too, but he was always busy ruling, or teaching Elsa how to someday rule. But Mama—that is Queen Idun—well, she always made it easier when I felt like I'd lost my sister."

Anna's face was twisted into the sort of frown that Decker had never seen on her before. "Now who's bein' the downer on this balloon? Know what we both need, highness?"

"What's that?" she asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Hey Olaf," Decker called out to the other end of the basket. "Tell us what you're gonnna do when we get to Spitsbergen."

"Oh wow!" Olaf waddled up and answered. "I'm so excited to go almost all the way to the North Pole! I'm going to find a polar bear, and I won't have to worry because polar bears are carnivores so it won't try to eat my carrot, but then I can try to ride it, and the water will be so cold that snow won't melt, so me and my polar bear friend can go swimming, and maybe we can swim so far north that we actually find the pole! I wonder if it's striped like a barber pole, or maybe like a candy cane? And then when I have a bear friend, the two of us can …"

He kept rambling on, but neither Anna nor Decker could hear, because the balloon was buffered by a sudden gust hurtling them forward.

* * *

Pebble sat in the woods and thought. She needed something of Anna's to jog the memories that Kristoff and Elsa held close to their hearts and break this sorceress' spell. But where would she find something of Anna's in these woods? Well, probably she couldn't. That meant it was time to march back to Arendelle.

Pebble stood up and let out a long, annoyed sigh. It had been _such_ a long march just to get up to this stretch of woods next to the enchanted summer garden. Now she would have to make that whole trip, but backward, to find something of Anna's, then do it all over again.

She looked at the river, now just a small stream cascading over fallen logs, between stones. It was too bad rocks didn't float—if she could ride the river down, that would make this whole return trip quicker. Well, she wasn't _completely_ rock, maybe it was time to see if trolls could float.

She stuck a toe in the water, preparing to test this theory, when she heard a rustling in the woods above. She ducked behind a log and looked upward. It was just Elsa's snowdeer. Bright orange rays of light danced through her antlers. She certainly was a beautiful ice sculpture, and a fast animal to boot! Hey, maybe that could carry her back to Arendell!

She approached the reindeer slowly, trying not to scare the snow-animal. But both froze and looked back when they heard another rustling sound. This time it was just Sven, with a silly look on his face.

Wait, that look, Pebble recognized it! That was the first lesson her mother Bulda had taught her when she was trying to teach the young troll the subtle craft of being a Love Expert. First lesson: recognize the face love-sickness. Sven was smitten by Elsa's ice reindeer!

"Hey Sven, I think I can help you with your problem," Pebble said as she approached the smelly animal. "Sven?" He wasn't paying any attention to her, just staring at Elsa's deer. This must be a serious case. She could just smile and pat him on the side.

"Wait, Sven. What's that around your neck? Wasn't this Anna's scarf? Sven! We can use this to break the spell over Kristoff and Elsa!"

Again, Sven completely ignored her. Well, if the reindeer didn't want to cooperate, she would just have to use brute force to bring him to the enchanted garden. She walked behind him and started shoving at his back legs. Of course, weighing a tenth that of a bull reindeer, she couldn't move him at all.

So much for brute force. Perhaps she could sail a more subtle tack. She left Sven to stand in his oblivious, smitten state, then walked up to the snowdeer. "Okay, Miss Icy-pants, here's the deal. I need the scarf around Sven's neck to undo Hyacinth's magic, but Sven won't budge, so I'm going to need you to lead him to Hyacinth's magic garden."

The deer gave her a look that Pebble translated as _Why would Sven follow me?_

"Trust me, he will. I'm an expert. Well, expert in training, at least. But trust me, he will."

The deer gave her a shrug-like gesture, and then started walking alongside Pebble.


	11. Chapter 11: Escape Hyacinth's Garden

Chapter 11: Escape Hyacinth's Garden

**A/N: My traffic stats say that 9 out of 13 of you are from America, so to my average reader I say happy labor day to 69% of you.**

Hyacinth was standing on a tall ladder, trimming some of the new growth on her cherry tree, when she saw Pebble leading a reindeer made of ice and snow into her garden. So, the troll was back, with a friend. The sorceress let out an exasperated sigh, and climbed down the ladder. Time to find Elsa. It would just be another gesture of hers, and the troll would be rolling away in an icy wind again. The queen was probably still sipping tea at the far side of her cottage. She certainly was taken by the chamomile that Hyacinth could grow, the sorceress thought with a smile. At least, she was pretty sure the queen was taken by the tea—there was a chance that was still the hypnotic magic Hyacinth had cast over her.

Hyacinth rounded the corner and saw Elsa and Kristoff standing. Both were staring at _another_ reindeer, this of the flesh and fur variety, standing in her garden.

"No, no. This won't do at all. No trolls and no wild animals in my garden, pleas show these party crashers out," the sorceress said to Elsa, with a wave of her hand.

But at the end of her wave, she felt a tremor, as if the magic had ricochet off its target and hit her hand again.

"Anna," Elsa whispered. Then she turned to Hyacinth. "You. You've kept her from us."

"No, how can you…" Hyacinth began, waving her arms again. Again at each wave, her arms felt rocked by reflected magic.

The small troll appeared from behind Elsa. "Anna is in their heart, and your magic has no power there. They just needed to be reminded."

Anger was in Elsa's eyes, but she held it back from her tongue, ever the diplomatic aristocrat. "We thank you for your hospitality, but we shall be off now."

The queen, ice man, troll girl, reindeer, and ice deer all turned as one and walked to the gate. Hyacinth tried waiving spells to grab at their minds, but she could feel each dose of magic reflecting away. Well, that was her most powerful magical spell, but not her only on. She lifted her hands up, and vines of roses covered in thorns started crawling over the gate. That would stop them at least for a little … wait, was the reindeer _eating_ the vines.

Fine, she pulled a ray of summer sunlight at the snowdeer. She would melt the beast, just out of spite. But with a touch from Elsa, pulses of cold repaired any damage caused by the sun.

She let her hands fall to her side, in defeat.

Kristoff opened the gate, and as they walked out, the queen turned her head back and said, "Sorry, but you won't be stopping us. We thank you for letting us know where my sister is."

"Yeah, I wonder why the Boreal Bandits decided to set up camp way up on Svalbard," Kristoff said to Elsa.

"Wait, Boreal Bandits? Your princess was taken by the Boreal Bandits? The birds never told me that," Hyacinth said.

Elsa fixed her a glare. "Much as I did enjoy your chamomile tea, I can't say I'm inclined to share anything with our captor."

"Perhaps I can help you. I was raided by the Boreal Bandits just over two years ago."

Kristoff and Elsa exchanged a glance, then Elsa answered. "Very well. A band of the bandits hijacked one of Arendelle's ships, by order of the Bandit Queen."

Elsa wasn't sure what sort of response she was expecting from this woman, but seeing her buckle in half and laugh hysterically certainly wasn't it.

"Bandit Queen? So now she's the Bandit Queen?" the sorceress managed between fits of laughter.

"What's so… what's going on? Is there something about this Bandit Queen?" Kristoff asked, eyes darting between the Elsa and Hyacinth.

"Oh, you two—you _five_, go to Svalbard. Find your princess. You're in for such a surprise." Hyacinth answered before laughing so hard she had to sit down.

"Forget it. We have a long way to go," Elsa answered.

Kristoff hooked Sven up to the ice sled, and was preparing to climb onto the sled himself, when Elsa waived her hand, forming icy chords to connect the sled with the snowdeer. He shot her a questioning glance.

"Sven should be able to set a pace that my ice deer won't be offended by. And it will be faster with two of them."

"Sure, Sven and I—we like going fast, but Sven'll keep an eye on your animal, isn't that right Sven?" Kristoff spared his reindeer a glance, then added, "Right, you don't have to keep your eyes _exclusively_ on Elsa's deer, you also have to watch where we're going."

Pebble interrupted by grabbing the icy ropes, giving them a whip and shouting "Hya!"

The sled jumped to life and sped southward. Elsa leaned forward, hand held out, frosting the ground in front of the sled, both speeding up their travel and directing the animals.

"We're not going back to Arendelle?" Kristoff asked.

"No, straight to the ocean. We'll need to sail."

"Ooh, I've always wanted to see the ocean!" Pebble shouted.

"Uh," was all Kristoff could get out.

* * *

Stammerings of disbelief were all Kristoff could continue to manage when he saw what Elsa had in mind for their trip to Svalbard. The sled neared a stretch of densely wooded coastline far from any villages. Elsa leapt from the sled while it was still moving, herself sliding to a stop on a knoll overlooking the water. She raised her hands, held them steady for a moment while she closed her eyes. Then, like a conductor directing an orchestra, she began a series of ticks and swooshes with her hands. With each movement, ice began forming on the water, slowly raising and taking the shape of a twin-mast schooner. Light danced through the ice railings, and softly bounced off the snow-covered deck.

But Elsa wasn't done conducting the ice. In one last movement, she crouched low, spreading her arms wide, then jumped upward, hands aloft, squeezed into fists. At the same time, a white whale, as large as the ship leapt from the water, landing with a deafening splash. One last flick of her hands, and ropes connected the ship to the whale.

"So when you said we were sailing…" Kristoff began.

"Moby can get us there quicker." Another twist of her arm, and a plank materialized, connecting the ship with the shore at her feet. As Esla started walking across the bridge, the snow deer cautiously followed.

"Okay, but we may need to leave Sven here. Boats don't really…" Kristoff trailed off as Sven followed close behind the icy creature.

He glanced down at Pebble, who had her arms wide, spirit fingers wiggling, and a giant grin across her face. Kristoff could feel musical trills begin to flow from the troll.

"_Oh your reindeer friend is smitten_

_By a love bug, he's been bitten…"_

"No, okay. We'll have time for music numbers later. Let's just … Let's just get on this ship."

Pebble seemed a bit disappointed, but followed Kristoff, saying, "Okay, but I'm holding you to that, 'cause I've got a great music number building up for later."

* * *

Anna sat in a ball, and squeezed a hand-rail on the side of the basket as the balloon tossed about in the gale that was now propelling them northward. It had been going on for hours. At first she was terrified by the knocking about, high above the ground. But now she had a bigger problem. They hadn't been on the land since the previous day, and her bladder was completely full. And all this bouncing was making things much, much worse.

"Please Kjerstin, we really need to land—just a quick stop in the woods. Please!" Anna shouted over the gale.

Kjerstin shot her a menacing look. "Our Bandit _Queen_ wants you to Spitsbergen as soon as possible." She punctuated her answer with a flaming fountain to inflate the balloon further.

"Oh, come on! No queen can be that heartless! We've been flying for hours. We've got to stop."

"Our queen is no… well, you can decide when you meet her."

Anna sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. She had to try talking, or something to keep her mind off her bladder. "So this Bandit Queen. I'm guessing you've known her all your life, right?"

Kjerstin's only answer was a look mixing confusion and contempt. So Anna went on, "I mean, if you were raised as a bandit, and she's always been your queen. What is she like?"

"Always been our queen? Hah! She was just some foolish woman who got captured by that sorceress down south. We rescued her, and kept her for her witchcraft. She had a power … could see through the eyes of magic. We used that to raid the trolls. But once we gained their magical crystals, she used the powers against us—convinced Askel to crown her the Bandit Queen. But there is no monarch of the boreal forests. Proper bandits don't have a queen and don't need one."

"Okay, well if you don't really like her, wouldn't you just love to make her mad and let this balloon down, just for a couple minutes—just long enough for a quick trip to the woods? Please?"

"Hmmph." Kjerstin replied. But gradually the balloon did drift lower. Two hundred feet above the ground they dropped out of the gusty wind tunnel. The rest of the decent was quiet, and they landed softly on snowy ground.

"Great! I'll be back in a minute." Anna said as she dashed to the nearest stand of trees.

Anna thought briefly of trying to escape, but they were in the great northern wilderness. And Kjerstin did hold Decker and Olaf as hostages.

* * *

Back on the balloon and after flying several hours more, Anna noticed that the land below them had given way to iceberg-filled ocean. They had left Europe, and must be nearing Spitsbergen.


	12. Chapter 12: Boats in the Daylight

Chapter 12: Boats in the Daylight

Johno could still feel a warm breeze fluttering the sails of this Arendell ship. They had long left the Skagerrak strait and were making their way up Norway's Atlantic coast at a quick clip. Perhaps there was even something magical about the south wind pushing them along. Johno frowned at the though. The trolls' magical stones certainly were useful—the first one had allowed the bandits to rescue Askel from that sorceress's summer prison. But the Boreal Bandits had a proud tradition of running unchecked through the northern forests, eluding the gendarme of any kingdom through cunning and skill. They channeled the craft of legends: the agility of Flynn Ryder, the guile of Ali Baba, and the wild abandon of Jack Sparrow. That had always been an unstoppable combination, all without the use of magic.

But this was not Johno's place to question. Askel had handed leadership over to the Bandit Queen, and she decided they would use magic—had assured them even that they would need it to go against the ice witch of Arendelle, and rescue the young princess from under her. Why the Bandit Queen was obsessed with this princess was another matter that Johno knew not to question. He simply piloted the boat. Someday perhaps, after the Bandit Queen's reign, Kjerstin would ascend to rule their band of thieves, and he would become a captain of the bandits. Until then, he would do his job well.

He looked around the deck. Even in the afternoon sun, there was not another person to see. A dozen of Arendelle's merchant navymen were locked up below deck, and there would be one bandit standing watch. The other four were somewhere on this deck, lurking in the shadows like thieves in the night despite the broad daylight. Good. They were doing their job well too.

He scanned the horizon. Empty ocean to the west and north. Empty woods along the coast to the east. Empty ocean behind them—wait. Was that something. "Oy, Hamburt! We need fetch the spyglass!" Johno called out.

From behind a coil of rope, the bandit known as Hamburt stood, dove below deck, and emerged a moment later with a telescope in hand. Hamburt wasn't his real name. His mother died in childbirth, and never had a chance to name him. He was raised by the bandits, under the name of "you _boy_," until he started growing whiskers, then it was "_you_ boy." When he joined Kjerstin's crew, she decided he needed a proper name. He wanted the moniker Thor. She decided Hamburt was more fitting. He was not amused.

"Nah, bot Johno. You isn't the captain. I's Thor to anyone else," he answered. But he did as he was told anyway, and extended the spyglass to scan the waves behind them. "Yeah, I see it. It's a ship."

"Well, go on. What colors she flyin'?"

"Don't see no colors. She got white sails. White flags too—'ay Johno, you reckon she's surrenderin' to us?"

"Don't be daft. What kind of white flags she got?"

"They're white flags. They don't have _kinds_. I guess this kind is kind of shiny. A little blue, like snow…"

"Let me see that spyglass!" Johno grabbed the telescope from Hamburt. "A frozen ship…. So the ice witch cometh."

Johno wore a smile as he put down the spyglass. This would be their chance to prove to their Bandit Queen that they could take on Elsa without using magic.

* * *

Anna had given up trying to cheer up Decker, and now she was giving up trying to find anything about the Bandit Queen from Kjerstin. All the ballooner would answer was, "You'll see soon enough."

Well now it was true. Their balloon had arrived at the island of Spitsbergen, landing gently on a frosted beach. Far up ahead in the valley Anna could see the imposing fortress of ice and stone.

"Is that really where we're going?" she asked.

"_I'm_ going to our encampment," Kjerstin answered, indicating to a small tent city, with dim smoke curling into the sky. "But you and your entourage… yes our Queen requests your audience in the castle." She grabbed Anna's shoulder, and for the first time held a look that could convey concern. "Good luck," she said, and with that, Kjerstin turned and started making her way to the camp.

"Huh. Some castle," Anna looked on. "Well … Decker, Olaf. I guess that's where we're going."

With a gulp, she led the other two onward.

* * *

Kristoff had to admit that traveling by ship pulled by a magic ice whale was much quicker than sled, as he saw the coastline passing by. But although it was _quicker_, it didn't feel _faster_. There was no thrill of dodging trees as you weave through a forest, no bounce as every pebble in the path gets amplified through the runners of the sled, no feeling of _flying._ Just a chill in your face from the wind buffeting against it. Kristoff buttoned up his vest and hunkered down near Sven. The reindeer was curled up in a tight ball against the foremast.

"Well bud," he began. "How do you like your first boating experience?"

Sven gave him a look that simultaneously conveyed incredulity, contempt, and seasickness. Sven had a talent for such looks.

"Wow, that bad huh? I guess it doesn't help that the ice deer is below deck with Elsa and Pebble. Yep just us boys and the open ocean up here." Kristoff sat down and leaned his head against Sven. "Just you, me, the Norweigan woods, and empty waves."

_Hrrph,_ Sven answered.

"No way. It's too late in the season for anyone else to be sailing this far north... Unless they were also going to Svalbard, like those bandits that kidnapped… Anna's ship!"

Kristoff leapt up, and searched the horizon. There up to the north, there was a ship! He grabbed an icicle and broke on end off, using a trick he learned from Olaf.

"Here Sven, bite this." He offered the thin end of the icicle to the reindeer who promptly chomped it. Kristoff inspected the bite mark, but deciding that it wasn't the right shape, crunched the end as well and worked it into a spherical lens. Looking through the make-shift telescope, he could see the ship up ahead was flying the teal and purple of Arendelle. It really was Anna's ship! And under whale-power, they would overtake it in a couple minutes.

"Elsa, Elsa. We've found the ship!" Kristoff shouted as he burst through the door leading below deck. "We've found …" he trailed off as when he saw the Queen, curled up against her snow deer, a pained expression painting her face. "Are you okay?"

She gave him a halfhearted smile before answering, "Just seasickness."

"Haven't you ever been on a boat before?"

"Not since I was really little. Unless the frozen fjord incident counts." She slowly climbed to her feet. "Anyway, what's this about a ship?"

"Right! Up ahead, it's the ship Anna sailed off in. We're catching up to her. Be there any minute now."

"Anna's …" As the words settled into Elsa, she raced up the stairs onto the open deck. Kristoff followed, in time to see her standing at the bow, singing out to her ice whale. At least it sounded like singing, combined with slow, stretched words.

The whale started slowing, gradually coming to a rest parallel with the Arendelle boat. Elsa waved her arms and formed an ice bridge between the two ships. "Come on!" she shouted over her shoulder at Kristoff. Instinctively, Kristoff followed.

What they found was disconcerting. "There's nobody here." Kristoff said to an empty deck.

"Where is everyone?" Elsa wondered aloud.

* * *

"Right. 'Ere's the plan," Johno whispered to the shadows below deck, where he knew the other five bandits were lurking. "Hamburt and Dave cross to the ice boat."

"I's Thor, I is." Hamburt interrupted.

Johno went on, "I spied through the spyglass that it was pulled by a whale. Never seen a boat like that, but I reckon it just takes a little spike from a javelin to spook the whale off. That cuts off their escape. The other four of us wait in ambush near the prisoners. Remember, she has magic, so we's got to _test_ her before we's spring the trap."

With directions given, Hamburt and Dave crawled out a viewing hatch, and silently made their way underneath the ice bridge to the boat beyond.

* * *

Elsa didn't like it, but she forced herself to go below deck. That's where the prisoners would be. Somewhere in the hulls below would be the brig.

As she stepped down the stairs, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"What, Kristoff?" She turned, only to see that Kristoff was still twenty feet behind her on the deck. That was weird.

She took two more steps, her hairs standing on end, frost forming on her fingertips. When she felt another tap on her shoulder, on instinct she wheeled around and flung ice from her hands. But it only froze the wooden railing. There was still nobody there. Her heart started pounding; she could feel anxiety welling up.

After two more steps, she felt another tap, but this one the cold steel of the blunt end of a sword. Again she whipped around, and caught a fleeting glimpse of light bouncing off metal. It was far too short of time to take aim with a bolt of ice, but unconsciously icicles were forming around the stairwell.

So there were bandits down here, but they were staying in the shadows. She tried to stare into the shadows, let her eyes pierce the darkness. Another step, and she saw a blade swing down. She ducked, but it still grazed her shoulder. That blade had come from _right in front_ of her, but she couldn't see the wielder, hidden as he was.

She closed her eyes and thought to herself, _Don't see it. Feel it._

She stood there, waiting, until she felt the waft of another sword swinging her direction. With only the smallest of winces, ice flew out of her shoulder blade, along the sword, around a pair of hands, and then exploded outward until it latched onto the walls of the stairwell.

Elsa opened her eyes to see a tall, red-haired bandit with his hands frozen in place in a web of ice. _I did it!_ she thought with a smile. She looked at her prisoner and allowed the ice along the sword to thaw, until it fell to the ground with a _clang_.

Picking the sword up, she continued down the stairs. There would be more bandits down there, surely waiting in ambush. But so would the crew and … Anna. And if she could take on this one bandit, a few more shouldn't be a problem, she thought.

She realized she was wrong, the instant she saw the flashes of light of two swords swinging at her from opposite directions. She ducked, and panicking, closed her eyes, held her own sword upward, and unconsciously dropped the temperature as low as she could. She opened her eyes after she heard a _crash_, and felt bits of metal falling onto the back of her neck. Her own sword had shattered. But the recoil had sent the pair of bandits bouncing off back into the shadows against the wall of the ship's hull.

They would regroup soon, and attack swiftly, these monsters that had kidnapped Anna and were now trying to slice her open. Elsa felt a rage coursing through her that she hadn't felt since her brush with the Weasleton goons in her ice palace. She felt her eyes narrow._ I can be a monster too._ _If they want to get me, let them get me through ice. _Elsa stepped down, and covered the floor of the ship with a layer of slick frozen water. Then, holding her arms out, called razor-sharp icicles forth from all of the walls. _Let's see them hid in the shadow now._

From the last remaining shadows, a pair of swords appeared flying through the air. Elsa ducked and twisted and sent two blue bolts of magic at the projectiles, freezing them to the roof of cabin.

Still the icicles grew. With a grunt, a pair of lumbering bodies charged from the far end of the cabin, aiming to tackle Elsa. But the ice was slick, and where they were sliding, Elsa was nimble. She slid out of their path, twisted quick behind them, and with one shove they were flat on the ground. With another bolt of blue magic, their hands and legs were held together in frozen shackles.

In the next room, she found a dozen sailors locked in the brig. She recognized their faces, but only remembered one of their names.

"Mister Errol, what's happened? Where's Anna?"

The sailors all stared at her, dumbfounded. Still unable to grasp what had just happened.

Until finally the captain answered. "Mister Errol, your Queen just asked you a question. And while he answers, would it trouble your majesty to let us out? Keys are on the wall."

As Elsa fumbled with the keys, the first mate finally seemed to find his voice. "Seven bandits took the ship. One went ashore with Anna and the snowman. And the Texan. The other six were sailing with us."

Elsa looked up at him, as he added, "And thank you, your majesty, for rescuing us."

"Six bandits … but I only found three below deck…"

"The rest must be above," Answered the captain.

"Oh, no! Kristoff." Elsa turned and ran back the way she had come. The dozen sailors, sensing urgency, dashed after her.

Above deck, they found Kristoff, wrestling with one more bandit. When the bandit saw the crew and the half-crazed queen, he stood up, raised his hands and said, "Alright. I surrender."

"Where are the other two bandits?" Elsa asked.

"They took your snow boat." He answered, gesturing to the broken ice bridge that now led nowhere.

Kristoff jumped up and grabbed him by the bandana. "Listen, punk! Where's Sv—"

_Harumph! _Kristoff was cut off by a shout from Sven, as Moby the Snow Whale pulled Elsa's ice boat alongside the Arendelle ship once again. Elsa's snowdeer stood beside Sven, each deer with a bandit pinned under their front hooves.

"Ahoy Kristoff!" Pebble called out from the bow of the boat.

"Pebble, what happened over there?"

"These two spooked Moby by trying to throw spears at him. But I guess they weren't expecting reindeer, 'cause Sven and this Dasher here managed to run up and pounce on them. Eventually I managed to calm Moby and tell him to take us back."

"You can speak whale?" Elsa asked

"Uh-huh!" Pebble answered, then sang, "_Thaaaaannnnnkkkkk yooouuuuuuuuuu Moooobbbbyyyy."_

Kristoff smiled, but as he scanned the crowd of sailors his face contorted back to a frown. "Where's Anna?"

* * *

As Anna and her entourage approached the icy fortress, Anna could make out a single person standing on a balcony overlooking the valley. She was wearing a long purple cape that … wasn't that the cape Elsa wore at her coronation? And was that _Elsa's tiara?_

"Hey, I don't know who you think you are, but that crown belongs to the queen of Arendelle!" Anna began shouting.

"Funny you should mention that," The Bandit Queen replied, her voice distorted through echoes down through the icy castle behind her.

"No, look! It's one thing to kidnap me, it's quite another to insult my kingdom by…"

"Insult your kingdom? I suppose I should be glad you finally developed a sense of patriotic pride, after all those lectures and speeches from your father. Heaven knows it took long enough."

Anna was close enough now that she could pick out some of the features of the Bandit Queen, and there was something familiar in the eyes. "How do you know…?"

"Anna, don't you recognize me?" The Bandit Queen pulled down her bandana, revealing a face that had frequently haunted Anna's dreams, but one she hadn't seen in over three years. "Don't you recognize your own mother?"


	13. Chapter 13: Memories of Magic

Chapter 13: Memories of Magic

Anna stared in incomprehensive disbelief at the figure of Queen Idunn standing on the balcony.

"I… what … how … _Mama?"_

"That's right, Anna. I'm here. And look around you. See this castle? It's all for you."

"I … what … _how?"_

"Perhaps it would be easier to explain if … reach into your pocket."

Anna reached into her pocket and found the necklace of crystals that Kjerstin had worn. She must have slipped them into her pocket before leaving. Evidently Kjerstin was a skilled reverse-pickpocket.

"Now squeeze the blue stone and close your eyes. Are they closed? Now keep squeezing the stone, but open your eyes and look into mine."

Anna looked up at her mother, and saw that her eyes had become a pair of sapphire gemstones. The vision of everything but those eyes began to slowly darken, until all she saw was the pair of crystal eyes. She felt dizzy, like her legs would give out at any moment. Pins and needles crawled up her arms. She kept concentrating on the sight of the crystal eyes. Her legs now felt like they were swimming in a turbulent current, being pushed and pulled through continuously changing tides. Still she started at her mother's eyes, blue-on-blue in an otherwise empty field of view.

But the eyes started closing, and with them Anna's vision fading completely to black. Now her whole body felt like it was being tossed about through crashing waves.

Anna opened her eyes and found herself in the cabin of a sailing ship. The cabin was painted with purple-and-teal rosemaling—the royal cabin. But the cabin wasn't still—it yawed and pitched, knocking trunks rolling, stream their contents across the floor. Behind her, she heard the crash of glass shattering. She tried to turn her head to the sound, but found she had no control over the muscles in her neck. She tried shouting, but couldn't control her mouth.

She heard shuffling to her right, someone digging through books, and heard her father's voice shouting, "I've found it!"

Without willing it, her head moved, and she saw her father holding a thick leather-bound tomb titled in runic lettering. Anna felt her lips move of their own accord, and her mother's voice emanating from them. "Can it still these winds? Does the magic have the power to stop this squall?"

Anna suddenly realized that she was seeing out her mother's eyes—reliving her mother's memory. That's what the blue crystal's magic had done! Anna couldn't control the body she was seeing out of, only view the world like it were some sort of theater set up for her. These were her memories from three years ago, during the fateful sea voyage. She could even hear her mother's recalled thoughts.

_Please, get us back to our daughters._

There was a look of guilt painted on her father's face. "I'm afraid it cannot. I could never decipher … and the knowledge of magic was so arcane and convoluted … But I know this: the power in this book is so feared by Njordr and the Atlanticans, that they would never allow it in their realm." He walked up to Idunn and thrust the book into her hands. "As long as you hold the book, the merfolk will carry you to the shore—just to be rid of it. This is your passport back to Arendelle."

Idunn looked at the book, then up at Agdar. "What about you? The kingdom needs its king."

She made to give the book to him, but he pushed it back, saying, "No. The kingdom has governors. But the princesses need their mother."

The look they shared lasted only for a moment before they were knocked sideways as the ship twisted on over the great waves of the storm. Water started pouring in through the walls. The book of magic was floating at Idunn's feet, dropped during the tumult.

"You must keep hold of it!" Agdar shouted, as he picked the book up. "This book is the only …" He trailed off, muttering to himself, "shards of the mirror … they would work." He opened the book to the front cover, and started tearing at the binding.

Idunn looked on, only having time to wonder, _why is ripping…_ before the king blew at the torn page. A dozen grains of sand flew through the air at her, a few of them landing in her eyes. On reflex, she closed them and started rubbing at the lids.

While her eyes were closed, she couldn't see the world around her turn upside-down. She only felt the twist of the ship throwing her once more across the cabin, and heard the deafening crash as the hull shattered in the force of the waves, then feel the cold water surging into the room, bubbling and splashing through the shattered walls of the ship.

The next thing she knew, hands were pulling at her, carrying her through the water. She opened her eyes once they breached the surface, to see a dozen merfolk swimming below the waves, escorting the ship down into the abyss. Had they been following the ship the whole time? Called as guards against the magic cargo?

Three mermaids breached the surface and grabbed at the Queen, two pulling her by the arms and the third by the hair. Anna, watching with rapt attention, could feel the sting as the mermaids jerked and twisted in the waves. Anna shouted out in pain; this time she heard her shout as the Queen cried out too. But Anna could only watch as one of the mermaids gave the screaming woman a disdainful look, grabbed a floating piece of the wreaked ship, and brought it down crashing onto her head.

The world was ringing as it faded again to black.

* * *

Anna opened her eyes, to see a bright Arendelle sun looking down on her. That wasn't all looking down on her. An old woman, with shoulder-length grey hair, wearing a sundress and flowered hat was smiling down at her.

"Oh, my, my! If it isn't the Queen." The old woman said. She ran a finger over Anna and her mother's forehead. Everything became hazy for a moment.

She felt her mouth open and her mother's voice saying, "Where … where am I? And who are you?"

"I'm afraid you've had an accident in the ocean. I had only come to collect this." She held up a heavy leather-bound book. "But don't worry, I'm going to take you to my garden. My name is Hyacinth," the old woman answered.

"I'm …" Idunn tried to answer, but paused. Anna could feel a struggle inside her mother's mind to try to find an answer as simple as her name.

"Oh, don't worry who you are. From now on, you are simply my guest."

The two strolled through the woods. But there was something off about these woods, Anna noticed. Everything she saw seemed somehow … uglier. The trees she knew were perfectly healthy, but every decaying branch was somehow more noticeable. All of the bugs that Anna normally wouldn't notice stood out as though they were painted bright orange. Even the flowers in Hyacinth's hat—bright roses and daffodils, Anna loved roses and daffodils!—seemed drab. It was as if she had a heightened sense of ugliness. Only it wasn't _Anna's_ sense; it was her _mother's_.

Anna could feel the Idunn of three years ago thinking, _how did I end up here? Why am I wet? There was a boat … there was a dusty book … there was something important about the dust_. But as she walked with Hyacinth, even these thoughts became hazier.

That was a particularly strange sensation. _Anna_ could remember everything that had just happened on the boat with the shipwreck, but this mind she was occupying had lost its ability to recall _anything_.

* * *

The memories jumped ahead now, and the pair were standing just within a picket fence near a cottage surrounded by flowering bushes. "I hope you don't mind, we have another guest as well," Hyacinth said.

As an aging man in oily overalls, wearing a midnight blue bandana over greasy, hair walked around the corner, Hyacinth made her introduction. "Your Majesty, I'd like you to meet Askel. Askel, you may refer to our new guest as Your Majesty."

Askel grunted a hello.

"Oh, that won't do at all," Hyacinth said, with a wave of her arms.

In response, Askel dropped to one knee and offered a "Pleased to meet you, your Majesty."

But while Hyacinth was waving her arms, Idunn could briefly see a vision—the world from Hyacinth's eyes. And there was something unusual about the gestures that Idunn saw. As though they were performed with a very careful rhythm, that almost hinted at … witchcraft.

The vision jumped several more times, and Anna could only pick up small pieces. The change of the season outside the picket fence from summer to autumn, but a continuous green growing season within the grounds. The flowers grew bright and fragrant, but Idunn still perceived them as ugly and foul.

Now Idunn was sitting down, sipping tea, with her eyes closed. Anna felt the warm feel of the teacup, and pleasant taste of rosehips mixed with chamomile. When Idunn opened her eyes, the teacup looked old and worn, the tea looked brackish—but the taste and the feeling of warmth were still lovely.

* * *

Several more jumps in the vision, as the seasons outside continued to change to winter then spring, but the gardens within the picket fence stayed summer. On many occasions, Hyacinth would use her hypnotic witchcraft to influence the mind of Askel. And every time she did, Idunn would see through her eyes as she performed the magic, slowly piecing together the all of the gestures, and even the mindset that this sorceress used to snare his mind.

Finally, Idunn decided to try the magic for herself. She found a bird perching on rosebush, although it appeared to her as a flying bag of disease and droppings on a vine of thorns. Could she make it hop on one foot? She looked at the bird, concentrated, and waved her arms as she had seen Hyacinth do. To her surprise, she felt something happen to her eyes. They were drying out, and felt more … solid? Something in them stung, a vaguely familiar sting.

Anna remembered the sting was the same as getting the grains of sand lodged in her eye. The stinging was in the exact same spot. But for Idunn, those memories were locked away.

But even more surprising than the stinging in her eyes was that the bird started to hop on one foot. _Switch feet_, she thought, and the bird switched feet. Well, this was interesting, but perhaps best stored away for another time.

As the seasons outside continued to change, Idunn had several more visions of magic. A blue-painted bedroom with walls frosting over as white-and-blue light flashed from gloved hands. A valley of small rock trolls conducting a symphony of geysers and steam vents. Eels with yellow eyes deep below the ocean. A frozen bowl of soup in that same blue-painted room. Smoke and lights dancing overhead as a young man and his reindeer watched from below.

* * *

Finally summer came back to the world outside the picket fence. And one day in June, Askel, Idunn, and Hyacinth were sitting outside, enjoying the sun and eating cucumber sandwiches, when from the shadows in the woods, a dozen men in midnight-blue bandanas dove over the picket fence, grabbed Askel, and made to run back to the woods. Wait, some of them looked like women, but it was hard to tell with their faces hidden.

"No, you don't!" Hyacinth shouted. She waved her arms about, casting spell after spell at the bandits. Idunn could see through her eyes that none of the spells were catching their targets.

A woman with straw-blond hair walked up to Askel, pulled down her bandana and shouted "Papa!" then ran to the man and gave him a hug.

"Kjerstin?" He asked, as realization grew across his face. He turned back to Hyacinth and shouted, "Seven years! For seven years, you've kept me here, clouding my mind. Hiding my memories! Well, now I have a band of bandits, and it's time you get your comeuppance."

Hyacinth glanced about, as if calculating how much her magic could protect her, then deciding it wouldn't, turned and made a mad dash for her cottage.

"So," Kjerstin began. "Should we set fire to it?"

"Who's to say a fire would do anything to this sorceress?" Askel answered. "No. Let's just leave. Her hypnotic spell was her only threat, and now that's broken."

Idunn knew that Hyacinth had been keeping Askel under her spell, but for the first time a new thought occurred. _Am I under her hypnotic spell as well?_

She walked over to one of the windows of the cottage and saw her reflection in it. She waved her hand at it, and felt her eyes drying. For the first time, she saw that this dry, stinging came as her eyes crystallized into faceted gems. She thought a command at the reflection: _You will leave Hyacinth's garden._

"Oy Askel! What 'bouts her?" another bandit with stumpy shoulders and untidy brown hair called out, pointing at Idunn.

"I imagine Hyacinth would hate to lose her other guest. So bring her along!"

"Who is she," Kjerstin asked.

"She's … Her Majesty." Askel wore a confused face.

"What? She some sort of queen? We ain't got no Bandit Queen!" the brown-haired man said.

_I must leave this garden. _"I can be a bandit!" Idunn shouted back. "And I can certainly be a queen."

"Yeah, you a bandit ay? You know, we bandit's steal stuff. What you goin' steal?" Brownie asked, derision in his voice.

"Anything."

"That a fact?"

"Just name it."

"All right, all right. Tell you what I've always wanted—a fire crystal!"


	14. Chapter 14: The Bandit Queen

Chapter 14: The Bandit Queen

Anna was standing stark still, staring up at the woman standing on the balcony. She had been standing like this for about twenty minutes now, and Decker was starting to get worried. "Say little feller. D'ya think we ought to be doin' something about this?" He asked Olaf while jabbing a thumb in Anna's direction.

Olaf was looking about the ridges above the valley, before turning his attention back to the princess. "Oh, that. Yeah, I've seen Anna have that look before. Usually when she's reading a book that she really gets into. Like one time she found a copy of a book called Emma, and she completely ignored me and Elsa for like two whole days. She'll just totally tune everything else out so she can concentrate on reading."

Decker eyed the two women, still engaged in the most epic staring contest he had ever seen. "What do ya reckon she's readin' now?"

"I guess she's reading her mother's face."

"So this gal up here. She really the late queen of Arendelle… I guess not so late anymore?"

"Oh yeah." Olaf answered. "That's totally the old queen. I recognize her from the pictures."

"Huh, guess that means that trade deal I signed with Elsa ain't exactly legal no more."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, I'd worry a lot more about those bears up on the ridge. Man do they look hungry."

* * *

Pebble was escorting the two prisoners across a newly formed ice bridge between the two ships, as she heard Elsa talking with the captain.

"You will of course sail back to Arendell with all speed. Take these bandits with you as well to stand trial," Elsa said.

"But your majesty, what of your ship? Surely we should escort you wherever you –"

"My ship is under magical whale power, and I'm afraid your vessel couldn't keep up. We need to keep up our speed for the journey ahead. But these scoundrels," she gestured to the two bandits Pebble was pushing along, "They need to go back. And we don't have a brig on the ice boat."

"Very well, I will sail the _Atreus_ back to our home port. But surely you want some of these men to go with you. You don't even have your royal guard—just the Ice Master and what appears to be a walking rock. Perhaps some experienced sailors would do your company good."

"As I said, Captain, speed is of the essence. Our party of two, plus magical creatures, can move fast."

"As you say, your majesty."

With that, Elsa turned and started walking across the ice bridge. Pebble handed the two prisoners off to a pair of sailors, and then ran to catch up with Elsa.

"Are you okay, Elsa? You seem like you're in a hurry to get away from Captain Fishypants over there," Pebble said to her. "Is there something weird about him that I should … are his feet pear-shaped!?"

"What? No. Nothing's wrong with him," the queen answered, with a sigh. "It's just… I don't remember his name." She flashed Pebble an embarrassed smile, before continuing. "And, see a queen is supposed to know all of these details, about her royal guards, and the navy, and the members of the clergy, and there are just _way_ _too many_ of them. So I've been introduced to Captain … fishypants, but it just flew out my other ear. And now it's been too long that it would be awkward for me to ask him again. In fact, the only crewman whose name I remember is the first mate Mr. Errol."

"Is that why you don't want any of them to go with us on this rescue mission?"

"No, what I said to the captain was still true. We need to move quickly, and the five of us plus Moby would be the quickest."

"Hmm." Pebble though about this for a moment before going on, "So, do you know the way to the Bandits' Fortress up on Svalbard?" Pebble asked her. "Cause I sure don't, and I'm pretty sure Kristoff and Sven don't either."

"I …" Elsa looked to the horizon, and let a sea breeze blow through her braid. Her face wore a look of contemplation, that twisted into concentration, that twisted into a frowning pained look.

_Oh no, _Pebble thought, _Is Elsa getting seasick again? Do I need to go fetch her a barfbag?_

"No," Elsa finally answered. "I don't know the way."

"I bet one of those Bandits does," Pebble offered. "He could be our guide."

"Of course you're right." Elsa said to the troll, before turning and calling, "Oh Captain, bring back one of the prisoners. The leader. I believe his name is Johno."

* * *

Anna could tell that the Bandit Queen wasn't happy. _Not the Bandit Queen, my mother Queen Idunn_. She was still having a hard time grasping that, in spite of her half-hour long swim through the Queen's memories—a swim that was rudely interrupted by Olaf.

The snowman had thrown his nose up at the balcony and hit Idunn square between the eyes. Apparently he had tried poking Anna first a few times, but she was too absorbed in her trance. Once the Queen broke their connection, Anna was thrown back to reality so violently that she promptly fell into the snow and spent at least a minute trying to stand back up.

All of this over bears on the horizon. Hadn't Olaf seen bears before? Well neither had Anna, but Idunn scared them away with a magic whirlwind, and it was all over so quickly that the princess was sure bears were no real threat.

Now she was back on her feet, looking up at her mother, the Bandit Queen. Seeing that face, wearing Elsa's tiara and purple cape, still flooded Anna with a torrent of emotions: grief, confusion, anger, hope, joy—all boiling over. All she could get out in words was, "But Mama, how … why? Why couldn't? … And if … how?"

"Hush child," Idunn answered. "There is much more to the story."

She pointed to her eyes, and Anna stared deeply into them. Then, once again she was tumbling through the void.

Anna woke up again re-living the memories her mother had lived two years ago. Idunn was crouching with a gang of the bandits, just north of the Valley of Living Rock. Among them were Askel, Kjerstin, Mousy, and another pair that Anna didn't recognize.

"Tell me again," Idunn asked Kjerstin. "What did they use to repel you when you visited three years ago?"

"It was mostly control of elements—fire, water, wind. The geysers too, I think the trolls could control them. Also smoke, they hid behind magic smokescreens. And don't forget these trolls are living rocks, and can pack a lot of punch without any magic. But what do you think you could do _your majesty_?" A clear tint of derision colored the last two words.

"They have magic. Well I learned a few things from that witch Hyacinth. And I've got some special tricks of my own as well." Idunn concentrated on Kjerstin's eyes, felt her own crystalize over, and thought the spell _ask me no more questions, silly girl. _

"You really think your magic is going to out-whit the trolls?" Kerstin asked.

_That's weird… it didn't work._ Idunn frowned before answering, "One way or another. I'm going to get that fire crystal."

Mousy walked up to her and handed her a bandana. "Remember, you is a Bandit now. And the Boreal Bandits don't show no faces."

Idunn looked down over the valley, and could see trolls rolling about. There was something unsettling about them. Certainly they looked abhorrent, but what unnerved her was a feeling of _deja vu. _She tried to remember what it was about these trolls. Had she seen them before?

Anna sat in her one-person theater box watching the scene, and thought to herself, _it's her mind … her mind is closed to her. And these trolls don't take any place in her heart._

* * *

The raid on the trolls flashed as a blur before Anna. Idunn's vision was constantly fragmented with sights through the eyes of trolls squeezing their crystal necklaces, launching fireballs, or summoning gales, or smoke and steam. From what Anna could see, the world was in an impossible disarray, but apparently Idunn could make sense of it all. She started shouting, "Askel, duck left—geyser. Kjerstin, bat the fireball my way. You boy, corner the yellow-toothed…"

"I's Thor, I is," the boy tried to answer.

Four bandits fell back, as a chevron of rocks rolled their way, but another two leapt from behind a large granite slab, cutting off the smallest trolls from the wing of the flying "V". That was the plan—divide and conquer.

The small troll tried to roll away—to the left cut off, behind her cut off, so onward and to the right. The pair of bandits corralled the rock up against the walls of the valley, where Idunn stepped from the shadows, and gently lowered her foot onto the rolling boulder.

The rock unraveled itself into a troll girl, who looked up at the queen with no recognition in her face. The queen could simply reach down and pluck one of the crystals from her necklace, then dive back into the shadows to watch the raid continue through her magic eyes.

Across the valley, individual trolls were being singled out and cut away from their kin. When they tried to use magic, the bandits always had a warning. So the trolls opted to roll away, but the bandits could herd the rock into a corner, where Askel or Kjerstin would pluck one of the magic crystals from the trolls necklace. Blue ones, green ones, yellow ones, a few brown ones—and finally a red one.

Fire crystal in hand, Idunn called out, "Bandits—mission accomplished!" then dashed away from the valley as fast as her legs could carry her.

* * *

The bandits re-grouped in a clearing in the woods.

"Haha!" Askel shouted in a cheer. He leaned in to hug Idunn, but seeing the dark look on her face, held back. Instead, he held out the half dozen crystals he managed to loot. "I daresay, that went well, miss … well if you are one of us now, you'll need a proper name."

"I happened to like being called Your Majesty."

"Oh, you still have ambitions to be a Bandit Queen, do ya? Well one successful raid does not a queen make."

"I see, so I must prove myself to you." It was a statement, not a question. Idunn simply walked away.

* * *

The memories presented before Anna jumped again. Flashes of visions. Brief glimpses of raids on gilded carriages, when a lone bandit would stand in the road to stop the cart, then Idunn would walk up to the occupants, allow her eyes to glass over, wave her hands, and the occupants would hand over anything she wanted. But the magic she used left the victims feeling like they generously giving to some poor needy folk. No alarm was ever raised. No reason to ever bear arms.

Again and again, this pattern of banditry repeated. Idunn's hypnotic magic allowed the Boreal Bandits to roam the roads unchecked. Seasons changed again, fall to winter to spring. Time was catching up with the present.

Eventually, Anna was dismayed to see the Bandits were stopping a carriage trimmed with teal and purple, with a golden flower painted across the door. A carriage carrying some officials from Arendelle. Again, Idunn put them under a spell, and a pair of Bandits rummaged through the trunks for anything valuable.

"Askel, you'd better look at this," one of the bandits said. Was this the same one who wanted to be called Thor in a previous flashback? He'd grown quite a bit.

"Oh, ho!" Askel said, looking into the trunk. "Nice catch, Hamburt."

"What is it?" Idunn asked.

"Oh, nothing to concern you, just news of an old acquaintance." Askel answered. "But I must admit," he continued, "These past several months have been the most prosperous for our band of bandits. And that is largely due to your magic. We would hate to see you take that anywhere else. So to ensure you remain with the Boreal Bandits for a good long time to come, I daresay I'm ready to call you Your Majesty."

This revelation came as a surprise to Idunn, but not quite a shock. "So I've finally proven myself to you. Very good."


	15. Chapter 15: Visions of Frozen Summer

Chapter 15: Visions of Frozen Summer

Anna was still inside her mother's memories, watching the seasons change again, until it finally changed to summer—_last summer_, Anna realized. It was a late July morning, and the Bandits were making their way along the coastal road, far north of Arendelle. Idunn was trying to convince Askel that they should move to boats, for faster ocean travel.

"Your Majesty, that would make us pirates. We're not pirates," was all he would reply.

"With the fire-stone, we could even have a magic-powered boat. We'd be better than pirates. We could out-run any ship in any fleet," Idunn said. She looked on over the road. _Always muddy and sticky, always making everyone look sickly, _she thought before looking over the rest of the bandits. _Well I doubt anything could make this band not look sickly._

Anna could still hear the thoughts, riding as a passenger in her mother's memory. _So she still sees everything with that heightened sense of ugliness_, Anna thought.

Walking along the road, Idunn stumbled, nearly falling on her face. What caused her to lose her balance was a vision. The world around her faded from her sight, replaced with a room lined with forest green wallpaper. Below her was a pair of hands holding a candlestick and music box, both of which were slowly frosting over.

_The frosty hands again,_ Idunn thought. She had visions of them many times over the past three years, and they had never bothered her before. But this time, as the hands put down the frozen candle-stick, Idunn caught sight of a painting behind them. A painting of a man holding a scepter and orb. A man named … _Agdar!_

At the magical sight of her husband, a piece of Hyacinth's spell began lifting, and memories of a king and queen in a tossing ship jumped through Idunn's mind.

Memories of memories. Snippets of dialog: "the princesses need their mother." But the strongest memory was that of a reassuring hand holding hers as their ship rolled through the tempest. It was a gentle hand, with a lovely soft touch. From that seed of loveliness, Idunn thought _maybe the world isn't so dark and dismal. _

But as she opened her eyes and looked over the ocean, her only thoughts were of its dark depths, and violent squalls, that took this man from her. She still couldn't remember exactly who he was, only that she cared for him, and he had held her hand when the ocean was caving in on her.

All of these thoughts and memories flew by in the few moments that saw the vision of frosty hands. It distracted her to the point that when she moved her feet, they missed the ground.

"Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Askel asked.

"I … yes. I'm fine. But you are right. We shan't be using ships."

* * *

It was late evening now, and the Bandits were sitting around a campfire. Idunn sat on her own, where the shadows from the flames met the woods. She was still shaken by the memories that had been unlocked to her.

_These past three years, ever since meeting Hyacinth, that sorceress has held me under her spell. Even after I escaped her garden. She still has a hold on my mind. She still clouds my memories. She still …_

_And all this time, what is this world around me? A world of ugliness and banditry. The only thing to drive me was the ambition to become their queen. But who was this man I remember? He was no bandit. He was a king. Was I really a queen?_

Before her inner monologue could continue, another apparition passed across Idunn's vision. Those same hands, one of them gloved, the other waiving forward, firing a bolt of blue magic. The bolt hit the floor and erupted into an arc of ice spikes, driving back a crowd of well-dressed people. At the front of that crowd stood a girl in a green dress with red hair, and a necklace befitting a princess.

_The princesses need their mother._

_Princess Anna._

New waves of memories crashed over the queen. Standing in a palace, next to the king, and Anna jumping over both of them in a hug. "I'll see you in two weeks."

The feel of that hug, and the tenderness she felt—the world was truly an amazing place with someone like Anna in. That thought sustained Idunn, as the memory within the memory moved forward, and the King and Queen walked through the halls of the castle. The halls appeared dark, the carpets appeared worn and ground down.

_Oh, no,_ Anna thought,_ even her memories are colored with this heightened sense of ugliness. In everything she sees … but not what she touches. Huh. _

For the Bandit Queen, sitting away from the fire, she only had a brief respite back in the bandits' encampment before the vision went on. More icicle spikes. Fountains freezing. Then a mad dash across the fjord, as the ocean froze to ice under the envisioned feet. All the while, a swirling storm of snow twisted overhead.

Late into the night, the vision returned. This time it brought her to the North Mountain. A desolate scene of white snow topping treeless mountain spires. An unwelcoming ridgeline, not a footprint to be seen. Then, a left hand lifted in front of her, erupting out a flurry of over-sized snowflakes, followed by a right hand with similar large crystals of ice dancing softly in the air. The two hands moved together and summoned a child-sized whirlwind of snow and twigs, leaving a lumpy snowman behind.

Onward these enchanted hands moved. Up the mountain, first building a crystalline stairwell stretching across a chasm, then lifting a platform of ice that burst forth with walls and decks and doors. Not three minutes later, it had grown into a palace of ice looking over the entire kingdom, like a pinnacle of defiance standing tall at the break of day.

_Wow,_ Idunn thought as the vision faded. _Just … wow. _The ice she had seen was _flawless._ It was perhaps the first thing she had seen in these past three years that still looked beautiful.

* * *

In the morning, she found Askel. "Something strange is happening in Arendelle. I believe that we need to venture back," she said.

"News truly travels fast," He replied. "I heard the same from a man on the road, and man was he in a hurry. Didn't even have time to be robbed!"

Idunn simply raised her eye at this.

"Yes," Askel went on. "It appears that the entire kingdom has been frozen. And not merely frosted like that June back about twenty years ago. No it seems that now the fjord has been frozen solid. Nobody will be able to sail in."

"We aren't sailing. We need to venture back."

"Is that a royal decree from the Bandit Queen, your majesty?"

"It's …" Idunn paused. She could feel the outlines of a thought, a thought that was very important she knew, but it was still just an outline. She closed her eyes and tried to fill it in. From the visions, the night before. Before the ice palace, before the snowman, before the frozen Fjord. There were icicle spikes, and … _Anna._

"It is. It is a royal decree from the Bandit Queen," she answered. "We shall return to Arendelle to find the Bandit Princess."

"As you command, your majesty."

* * *

Once again the memory jumped, to three days later on the coastal road returning to Arendelle. Idunn was riding in a carriage, which was good because she was hit with a vision that would have knocked her onto her face—a vision of Anna in the ice palace, dressed in mittens and a heavy winter cloak. Although she was indoors, a gentle snow was falling all around. Swirls of ice were tossing through the air, the snow flying in a growing maelstrom of wind. The light snow had become an indoor blizzard. An upsurge of malicious magic swelling before her, and at its crescendo, the blizzard mutated into outward blast of freezing rays, catching Anna in the heart.

_Anna_! Idunn thought.

Before the vision faded, she caught sight of a reflection in the ice. The magical eyes she had been seeing through—the magical eyes that belonged to this sorceress of the winter. The eyes were deep blue and set in a face that was deathly pale, topped with platinum blond hair in a single braid.

Seeing this face opened new memories, but only a few—a young woman in blue gloves yelling "Don't touch me!" The same young woman, though older now, asking "Do you have to go?" And a thousand fragments of memories of the girl in between, studying with the King, or silently sitting at a dinner table trying to use a fork without getting food on her white gloves.

But as Idunn searched these new memories of that face, she couldn't find one associated with physical contact. There was never a hug, or a hand on the shoulder, or even a grazing tap of elbows passing in a narrow corridor. Instead all she could remember were sights, and those sights were colored in a dark and foul tint.

_So this is the ice witch that cursed Arendelle, that cursed Anna. This is… _Idunn strained her mind, sure the memory was hidden in there somewhere. _This is… Elsa._

"Your majesty, are you all right?" She had returned to the carriage, and Askel was shaking her shoulder. "Your eyes grew dark and twisted, and it looked like you passed out."

"I'm fine," Idunn answered. "But we need to pick up our pace. Anna needs…"

"Anna?"

"We need to rescue her. She's been cursed by an icy sorceress."

"An icy.… Is she the cause of Arendelle's frozen summer?"

Idunn nodded.

Askel was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Consider this, your majesty. We have some magic. We have a fire stone, and a handful of other troll rocks that we don't know how to use. This sorceress froze an entire fjord. You think we can just roll into town, take this Anna away from her, and vanish unscathed?"

"We are bandits. Vanishing is our trade."

"Pardon my bluntness, _your majesty,_ but vanishing has never been your trade. You have always had the mind's spell. Your brand of banditry has always been to hypnotize your victims and simply walk away. You have never needed to run off and disappear from an armed guard, let alone an ice witch."

Idunn was silent for a beat, then replied, "What do you suggest."

"We can steal this Anna—we Boreal Bandits can steal _anything_—but what we need is an escape plan, and most important of all, we need a safe haven to return to."

"Is the forest encampment not safe enough?"

"From a witch that can bring eternal winter to an entire kingdom? No, the forest is far from safe enough. We would need a fortress. Somewhere that a bit of _winter_ will never bother it."

Again Idunn was silent for a beat, and then replied again, "What do you suggest?"

"I know of an island, in the far icy north, Spitsbergen. With an abandoned fortress of stone and ice. That could withstand any wintry assault. We can rebuild the fortress. It would be safe for your Anna."


	16. Chapter 16: New North Arendelle

Chapter 16: Governor General of New North Arendelle

Leaving the memory was just as disorienting as entering it, and Anna found herself lying on the snow, trying to swim back to the surface of reality. Slowly she gathered herself and climbed to her feet.

"And that is everything," the Bandit Queen, Idunn of Arendell said down to her from up on the balcony.

Anna quickly glanced around to make sure there were no bears again, before looking back up at her mother. Gradually her physical disorientation was giving way to an emotional one. She tried to smile, and tried to laugh, but a grimace was moving across her face.

Idunn continued, "I wanted to share everything with you, Anna. I didn't want to hold anything back. I still don't have everything myself, after Hyacenth's spell. But I do remember hiding the truth of Elsa's magic from you, and I know that was wrong. I won't hold anything from you this time."

"Mama, I.…" The grimace was returning, and twisting in Anna's stomach as well as her face.

"Before you finish that thought, there is something that I …" Idunn clasped the yellow stone as she leapt over the balcony. A puff of air dampened her fall. She ran up to Anna and squeezed her in a tight hug.

Anna's grimace morphed into a smile, then back to a frown as she hugged her mother back. Tears welled in her eyes and dropped to the frozen ground. "I've missed you, Mama."

"And I'm so sorry my child. Sorry that I couldn't go back to Arendelle for you."

Anna let go, her eyes darting to Olaf and Decker. "Oh, Arendelle. What are we going to do? I mean, you're Queen, but Elsa's also queen—I heard the old man say in Old Norse—and now we're way up here, but we'll have to … Elsa! She's not a witch; she's the benevolent Snow Queen. She would never hurt-"

"She froze your heart. I saw it."

"Yeah, but—"

"Enough. Just know that she can't hurt you up here. As for the ruler of Arendell, we have plenty of time to figure that out. In the meanwhile, I believe I have sufficient authority to claim this valley in the name of the kingdom, and appoint you as the governor general of the Spitsbergen Colony."

Excitement finally settled back on Anna's face. Governor Louis had never allowed her to run any of the kingdom's business, and Elsa had been reigning for too short a while for her to try to dabble in any of the affairs of state. "You mean it? I'm the governor general?"

"Of course. I told you child, it's all for you. Now, you must be tired after your balloon trip. I'll have Haakon show you to your room."

"Haakon?" Anna asked. She turned to see the familiar face of one of the palace guards, still dressed in his purple-trimmed teal woolen uniform. "Haakon! Oh, we were so worried about you after you didn't come back from the Northern Valleys." She dove on the man with a flying Anna-hug, then grabbed his arm and tugged him into the ice fortress, having forgotten that _he_ was supposed to be leading _her._

Idunn could hear her voice echo through the hallways as she watched her daughter walking away.

"… of course, _I_ knew that Marshmallow wouldn't do anything to you, but Kristoff said that _he_ thought that snowmonsters have to eat too, and I tried to tell him that Marshmallow isn't a snow_monster,_ just a very big and kinda scary looking …"

Idunn looked to the shadows at the entrance to the palace. "I see you hiding there, Askel."

The old bandit emerged from the shadows. "Lucky guess. Nobody can actually see me hide."

Idunn answered with a "Hmmph."

"She certainly seems chipper, after having seen her mother return from the dead and become an infamous bandit."

"I may not remember everything from before, but I always know for Anna—if you give her something to be excited about, and she will always become excited."

"So now she's the governor general. You know this isn't really a colony. It's just a fortress—fortified against the ice witch. And the ice witch is coming."

"I know that and you know that. But let Anna have her moment. She'll figure it out eventually. She is a cleaver girl."

"I'm sure! I bet she's cleaver enough to have read all the newspapers, and then forget them after."

Idunn shot him a look.

"Your sapphire eyes can't take a hold of me, my queen. But as you wish, my bandits will let Anna have the next several days to pretend she's running the island."

"This morning I saw, they're on a boat pulled by an ice whale. They've already caught up to Johno. I'm guessing it'll only be two more days until they're on our doorstep."

"Well then I'll let Anna have the next two days to run the island. In the meantime, what about them?" Askel jabbed a thumb in the direction of Decker and Olaf.

"Kjerstin says they're official guests of Arendell. Ambassadors even. And for the next two days this is a colony of Arendelle."

"Shall I set them up in the Ambassador's Suite?"

"Of course. But there are bandits about, so you'll want to make sure that their door stays locked—for their protection naturally."

"And the windows to this room, am I to guess that they should have iron bars—to keep them safe from bears, of course."

"Of course."

"Ah, the ambassador's dungeon cell. We'll make a bandit of you yet, _your majesty_."

* * *

As soon as Anna was well into the corridors and outside of her mother's earshot, she stopped walking.

"Okay Haakon, we're safely away from the bandits. My mother is back, and that's going to take a lot for me to deal with. But right now we've got a bigger problem."

"Yes, your highness," Haakon absent-mindedly answered, continuing down the hallway.

Anna ran to catch up. "I'm serious. Now let me tell you that bigger problem. Back when I first got kidnapped, Scuttle went off for help. Now, I know he's just a seagull, but Olaf really believes that he got help. That means Elsa is coming to rescue me. Which, I mean, she does kind of owe me one for the time I rescued her from the North Mountain… Well, I guess Hans brought her back from the North Mountain, but then he tried to kill her with that sword that came out of _nowhere_, and I rescued her from _that."_

"Uhm," was all Haakon had in reply.

"Right! The point is that Elsa is probably on her way, and Mama hates Elsa! She thinks that Elsa is some sort of dangerous … but Elsa's not dangerous, it was just an accident, and now she has control of her powers."

"I…" Haakon began, before being cut off by Anna.

"So I've got to get Mama to love Elsa again. Which shouldn't be hard, 'cause Elsa's the best sister. I mean she did shut me out for thirteen years, but that was only 'cause she was afraid of hurting me. Then she also went and ran away, and … built a snowman."

"Your…"

"That's what really gets me, Haakon. I saw it in Mama's vision of magic-which is another thing that's all _whoah, _but it's still not the biggest problem. What gets me is that the first thing Elsa did once she started using her magic, _the first thing_ _she did_, was build a snowman. Sure, a puff from one hand, and a puff from another, and then _whoosh_ … snowman. It's not like I'd been asking her to build one with me for the past _thirteen years_. But that's okay, 'cause now I'm friends with Olaf. And Elsa's going to rescue him too."

"Of course, your highness." Haakon, finally got a whole sentence in, before being cut off by Anna.

"And that's the biggest problem. Are we going to have some sort of clash of the titans? Bandit Queen and Ice Queen? No! As Governor General of New North Arendelle, I won't allow it! But it seems to me that North Arendelle is full of bandits. So I'm going to have to find some other folks loyal to Elsa to help me carry out my plan."

"Your plan, your highness?"

"And I'm also going to need to come up with a plan," Anna answered. After a moment, she stopped walking to ask, "Tell me, Haakon, where do your loyalties lie?"

He stood there a moment, perplexed. His face danced between pensive and confused. Anna could almost see the gears inside his head, twisting back and forth, trying to grind through some dust and get the machine running again. Finally he smiled and answered, "With my queen, of course."

"Good, good." Anna nodded and kept walking for a moment, but then she stopped and had to think about the answer. "Wait, no. That's no good. That could mean anybody! Seriously, Haakon. I feel like you're just being ambiguous to throw me off."

"Of course not, your highness."

"See, there you go again! And what really bugs me is that I can't even tell what you're trying to throw me off of!"

"Your highness, let me put your fears at ease."

Anna mumbled to herself, "that would be good, 'cause we both remember what happened last time an Arendell princess had too much fear she froze the whole kingdom."

Haakon went on, ignoring the mumble. "I am a loyal palace guard, of the Arendelle Castle. I will fight with all my strength to protect it."

"That's all well and good, but we're not _in_ Arendelle Castle," Anna answered.

"Look around you, princess. This is clearly a castle. And you yourself said we are now in Arendelle."

"Yeah, but—"

"So there you go. I will protect Arendelle Castle."

"You're hopeless."

The pair of them stopped near what appeared to be a bedroom. One of many in this long corridor. This one was flanked with tall granite columns supporting the door frame. Anna looked at a moment, thinking that it must have been built to withstand an army of intruders. But the door itself was simple wood, painted with green trimming. She smiled at the reminder of her room back at home…what used to be her and Elsa's room.

"Well then Haakon, I take it this is the governor's suite?" Anna said as she walked into the room, and waived an arm to dismiss the guard.

Haakon turned to walk back down the corridor, with a frown on his face. Why was his princess asking about loyalty? He had the beginning of a thought-more of a feeling really, an instinct—telling him that loyalty was paramount to his life. He closed his eyes and tried to think. But whenever he tried, all he could see was a woman in a midnight blue bandanna, sitting across the path in the northern valleys. And as she opened her mouth to say, "Oh yes. You'll do nicely," the world would fade away, leaving only a pair of shining blue gemstone eyes against a black background.

But he latched onto the feeling of loyalty, and fished through his mind until he could find a memory for it. He was standing in the courtyard of Arendelle palace, in a formation with maybe a dozen other young men. They all had their right hand in the air and were repeating in unison, "I swear to uphold the laws of Arendelle and protect the crown from all enemies, foreign and domestic."

The crown. That was his loyalty. But the crown was just a metaphor. What did it really mean? He thought, but again the eyes saying "Oh yes. You'll do nicely." Pushing beyond them once again, he found fragments of memory. The throne. A young girl with platinum blond hair in a single braid sitting on it. Who was she?

"Oh yes. You'll do nicely."

Memories of the throne faded away, as did all thoughts of metaphors. He was back in the courtyard of the Arendelle palace, chanting "I swear to uphold the laws of Arendelle and protect _the crown_."

But there was something funny about this memory. He looked up, to see the sapphire eyes, hovering in the sky. And to his right, one of his fellows was not a young man, but an older, scruffy looking fellow with a midnight blue bandana as well. _You shouldn't be here, _Haakon thought. _How did you get into my memory?_

_I swear to uphold the laws of Arendelle and protect the crown._

And who wore the crown? The older woman, with the midnight blue bandanna, sitting across the path. Perhaps that's where his loyalties must lay.

Things were so much simpler when all he had to do was march north.


	17. Chapter 17: A Dungeon of Ice

Chapter 17: A Dungeon of Ice

Decker was escorted by a grimy-looking man through the halls of the ice fortress. The man would frequently disappear into the shadows, and re-appear with a new icicle to use as a walking stick, and each time the walking stick seemed to be getting bigger. Decker wasn't entirely sure what had happened with the Bandit Queen and the princess of Arendelle after their hypnotherapy session, what with them speaking in a language he didn't understand, and before he had a chance to ask his snowman friend to translate, the pair of them were being led on a march into the icy hallways. Every time he tried to talk to Olaf, he would end up with a face-full of icicle.

"Hey feller, wha—"

_Thwack._

"I mean did y—"

_Thwack._

The old Texan surmised that while Anna may be a guest here, the two of them were still prisoners, and their captor was not the sort to encourage conversation. Olaf was clearly shaken by this. The little snowman never tried to answer Decker's two-and-a-half word questions, and would always grab his leg and cower when their grimy captor started swinging his icicle.

That left little to do but march down the hallways. How many of these were there? New hallways seemed to branch away whenever they turned a corner. Where hallways didn't split, the rooms were guarded by ancient oaken doors—but every now and again the door would be splintered along one corner. Decker caught a glimpse through one to see an expansive cavern of toppled columns and broken ice bricks. Another one appeared to be a broom closet, without any brooms. He tried looking though some of the ice walls into a few of the rooms behind closed doors, but the ice was dark and cloudy—a dull grey hardly more interesting than the grey stone bricks that were interspersed with the ice.

Eventually they found themselves in front of an open door. From a distance, it was a welcome relief to see that some of the doors could be ajar, but when he got closer and could see inside, he was less relieved. It was clearly a cell. Small, dark cobblestone floor, a single iron-barred window.

Their host barked some command, and Olaf immediately ran into the little room.

Decker's eyes followed the little snowman, and he tried to ask, "So I take—"

_Thwack._

He took a step into the room and heard the mighty door slam behind them followed by the latch of a key. His nose still smarted from that icicle, so he waited a moment before trying to talk with Olaf again.

"Alrighty mister snowman, what was that all about?"

Olaf looked back at Decker with a glazed sheen over his eyes, as he stared through the Texan. "I…"

"Hey, it's okay. They can't do nuthin' to us now. See this stirdy slab of wood?" Decker gestured to the heavy oak door, "It's goin' keep the bad guys out."

"I'm…"

"Hey, I know what you need." Decker reached down and squeezed Olaf in a warm hug.

That seemed to re-invigorate the snowman. He gave his head a quick shake before answering, "Boy, I really froze there, didn't I?"

Decker let go and gave him a look.

"See, there's a pun there," Olaf went on, "But I think you may have lost it in translation."

"No, I got it."

"Anyway, let me tell you what's going on, at least from what I heard. We're in the ambassador's cell." Olaf sized up the room for the first time. "But I don't think this has much diplomatic sway."

"So are we ambassadors or prisoners?"

"Both? I guess this is a new Arendelle colony. Which is weird, 'cause I'm pretty sure we're on Svalbard, and Svalbard is part of Norway, and Norway isn't Arendelle." Olaf made his thinking face. "But I guess it's okay, 'cause it's only going to be a colony for the next couple days. And Anna is in charge."

"Okay then. Ambassadors for two days, prisoners from then on." Decker leaned against a wall, then slid down into sitting position. "Why not."

Olaf wandered over to the door and tried wiggling the doorknob. When it wouldn't open, he pulled his carrot nose out of his face and stuck it into the keyhole, but before starting to twist it, he thought for a moment.

"Does this door really keep the bad guys out?" Olaf asked Decker.

"Sure," Decker answered.

"Hmm…" Olaf wandered over to the window. There was no glass—only iron bars to divide the inside of the cell from the outside world. Olaf stuck a hand through and wiggled his fingers a little bit. He nodded as if pleased with the result, then started pulling handfuls of snow out of his middle bit, and packing them together on the other side of the bars.

"What're yah doin'?"

"I'm escaping! Anna is in charge, so I'm sure if I could find her, we can get all this sorted out."

Decker gave him a skeptical look.

"I can totally do it! Help re-build me on the other side of these bars."

As realization gripped the Texan, he ran over and started scooping up handfuls of Olaf and depositing them out of the cell. Soon, all that was left of Olaf was his head.

"Uh, how do yuh want to do this 'un?" Decker asked, holding the solitary head near the bars.

"I think we can probably…"

"Nah, I think I got it." Decker cut him off by shoving the snowball through the bars, and onto the two waiting body pieces.

The resulting Olaf face was pulled tightly around the cheeks, giving him an oddly squished appearance. "Whoa! Head rush! Let me just…" He gave his head a vigorous shake and it returned to its normal, lumpy shape.

"So, uh, what are you goin' do if Anna's locked up too?" Decker asked.

"Oh, I've got that covered," Olaf answered tapping the end of his carrot nose.

"You can pick locks with that thing?"

"Of course. Can't you?"

Decker ignored the question, instead asking, "How'd you learn to do that?"

Olaf made his thinking face again before answering, "Huh, I guess I was just built that way."

Before Decker could inquire any further, the snowman had run off in search of the princess.

* * *

"You mean you, as the crown princess, learned to pick locks?" Kristoff was incredulous.

"What you have to remember is that I was in my room for a very long time. I was so afraid that I would run into Anna, and then freeze …" Elsa paused, "So after lessons in Papa's study, it was always straight back to the room. So I picked up a few hobbies. Anna did too. And while she would spend her days daydreaming of the great romances in her books…"

Elsa paused as she saw Kristoff's face. "Are you getting seasick too?"

"The _great_ romances," he mumbled.

"Oh, um. I'm sure that was just a phase. For a while she wanted to raise an army to help one of the revolutions down in France, just like Joan."

"Who's Joan?"

"Oh, a girl from Continental history. She was Anna's hobby for a while. In the mean time I learned how to pick locks and draw mazes. I also tried learning all the European languages, but only ever mastered our Lingua Franca. Anna's the one with the talent for tongues."

Elsa stopped to look around the deck for Dasher the snowdeer. She must have been below deck helping Pebble keep an eye on Johno. Earlier, Kristoff had managed to convince Elsa that she ought to sit above the deck to help her seasickness. At first Elsa was skeptical—she thought time with a pungent reindeer and his equally pungent master would make her queasiness much worse. But after a few hours of growing seasickness, she was willing to try anything. And much to her surprise, she was enjoying herself, telling him stories from when she and Anna were younger.

"I guess that's why Olaf makes a pretty okay translator…" Kristoff was saying as Pebble popped out of an ice hatch and onto the deck. "Hey sis, so how is our navigator down below deck?"

"He's not too happy being our prisoner, But I think he's pleased that we're taking him back to his band of Bandits. He keeps mentioning this Kjerstin lady."

"Did he do any navigating? Or tell you anything about this fortress we're storming?" Elsa asked.

"A little. I guess it's kind of in ruins. Grey granite columns, bricks of ice and stone. Some of them toppled. I guess there's also polar bears."

Elsa stared out into the sea breeze for a moment, before turning back to Pebble.

"It all sounds so… and it's in an icy island in the frozen North…"

"Elsa?" Kristoff asked.

"I think I've seen it before… In my dreams that one night I spent in the Ice Palace. I saw this fortress, and a giant snowflake-that was also a beautiful woman—she was telling me that this fortress and frozen island was my destiny. Then again, when I escaped from my own dungeon and ran off onto the frozen fjord, that's where I thought I would go."

"Uhm, what?" Pebble said. She had missed most of the Queen's adventures, and was only piecing everything together.

"I thought my powers were out of control. I wanted to get far away from Arendelle, where my powers wouldn't hurt anybody. Somewhere like the icy island from my dreams. I even felt a force pulling me there."

She turned out toward the ocean, watching Moby pulling their boat to ever higher latitudes. "Even after I could control my powers, I could still feel that force pulling me northward. In fact…" She closed her eyes and held her arms out, as if trying to fly on the ocean breeze. "I can still feel it. Some magic, some _ice magic_, is trying to pull me to the bandit's fortress."

"The Snow Queen's fortress," Kristoff put in.

"The Snow Queen? We're going to the fortress of the Snow Queen?" Pebble asked.

"You've heard of her?" Elsa replied.

"It's just a legend, but all trolls know it. In a blizzard snowflakes swarm like bees. And like bees, the snowflakes have a queen. A giant snowflake in the shape of a beautiful woman."

"Like my dreams," Elsa muttered.

She stared out into the northern ocean for a moment again, before turning back with determination in her face. "Whatever these legends of the Snow Queen are, whatever the icy magic is that stalks my dreams, none of that matters. We are sailing to Svalbard for one reason—to save Anna."

Kristoff pumped his fist in the air at the proclamation. "That's right, rescue the princess!" But when everyone, Sven included, gave him a funny look, he turned away, embarrassed. "I mean, uh. Yes. I agree."

Elsa leaned against the ice railing of the deck. "There's one good thing about these Snow Queen dreams. They give me a great internal sense of direction to Svalbard. And that sense is telling me that we're a little more than a day away."

* * *

As evening was falling, Olaf found Anna in a large lavishly decorated room, complete with an ornately carved wooden desk. Anna sat at the desk, and was weeping into her hands. As Olaf waddled into the room, Anna jumped up with a start.

"Oh, Olaf. It's just you," she said with a big sniff.

"Hey Anna, what's wrong?"

Anna stared down at the single paper sitting on her desk. "She didn't come tell me a story."

She looked down at the little snowman before going on. "Mama didn't come tell me a story. I was sitting here, trying to compose my plan to avoid a clash of the titans and get her to love Elsa again, but I thought she would come to tell me a story again, like she used to. And I didn't want her to see my secret plan, so I was going to wait until afterward to write it. But she didn't come…"

Olaf walked up to her. He was about to say something, but it was clear that Anna had more to say.

"She didn't come because she's not the same queen that sailed away three years ago. Her memory is all—" Anna wiggled her hands around her head in a scrambling motion—"And then she became the queen of the bandits. And I'm not the same princess from three years ago either. I've got Elsa now. And Kristoff too. And it's …" Anna bunched her fists, failing to find words to convey her emotions.

Olaf sat down next to her. "Well, it seems to me that even if you're a different princess, she still loves you. She flew you all the way out here to keep you safe from Elsa. I mean, _we_ know Elsa isn't dangerous, but she doesn't. Also, she made you the governor general. So maybe we should focus on that?"

Anna sat down and stared at the blank piece of paper. "Yeah, you're right… Well! If I'm Governor, the first thing I'm going to need to do is appoint a Lieutenant Governor. And since everyone else here is a bandit, I'm appointing you, Olaf—Lieutenant Governor of New North Arendelle!"

"You mean it? Hooray! New North Arendelle—so does that mean it's a new Arendelle of the north, or just a new version of North Arendelle?"

"Uhh…both?" Anna responded. "Now as my lieutenant governor, I'm going to be counting on you for a lot. Are you sure you're up to it?"

Olaf nodded his head vigorously.

"Okay. First thing I need you to do is draft a Plan to Get Mama to love Elsa again. Now's your chance to really show that you're a love expert."


	18. Chapter 18: Lady Mondegreen

Chapter 18: Lady Mondegreen

A day and a half later, Anna was walking through the front hallways of the icy fortress. Olaf was following close behind her with a clip-board and a bit of charred wood he could use as a pencil—for some reason there were no quills or ink in this place. It was close to noon, but Anna had just gotten out of bed. She figured that being the hard-working and much loved Governor General was no reason to miss out on her beauty sleep.

"Okay, Lieutenant Governor Olaf,_"_ she said with a yawn. "What's in store for today?"

"First, you wanted to appoint a head palace guard," Olaf began, looking down at his clipboard.

"That's easy. Haakon!" Anna cut in. "I know he's loyal to the _palace_, if nothing else."

"Second you wanted to inspect the harbor and get the opinion of the Chief Engineer about building a port. Third, you wanted to appoint a Chief Engineer…. Hey Anna, I think you may want to do number three before number two."

"Alright, add that to the list—'swap number two and three'—what else is there?"

"I still need help drafting the plan to get your mom to love Elsa."

"Alright, I'll see if I can find time to help with… wait, did you call it a plan or a Plan?"

"Um … I don't think I know the difference," Olaf answered.

"Well it's an official Plan, so you need to capitalize the letters to be proper."

"Okay, I'll write down capital—"

Anna cut him off with, "You have to do it when you're talking too."

"I don't think that's—"

"Like this: a Plan to Get Mama to Love Elsa. Did you hear the difference?"

"Um … no?"

Anna twisted her face while she thought for a moment. "That's okay, we'll get to that later. I mean, Elsa is coming from Arendelle a thousand miles away, and she doesn't have a magic balloon or jet-stream powers, so we've probably got _weeks_ to come up with a plan. I mean Plan."

"Oh, actually she has a magic ice whale pulling a boat and she's supposed to show up today."

"What! Oh no Olaf, we're not even _close_ to ready for… what are we going to do? I can't let …" Before finishing her thought, Anna ran down the hallway and out onto the open balcony. She looked out into the distance and could see a white whale splashing about, next to a white ship. Not just white, _ice blue._ They were already here.

Anna let out a deep exhale. "Alright Olaf. We need to kick the Plan into gear."

"But we don't have a plan yet…"

"That's alright. For now, you just rally the loyal forces. Which I guess is just you and me … ooh, and Decker! Where is our Texan ambassador?"

"He's in the ambassador's cell. Oh, right! I was supposed to get you to let him out! Um… I guess we should really get on that."

"Here," Anna scribbled a note down on one of the pages of Olaf's clipboard. "Take this to the Bandits' encampment. It's an official decree to let Decker out, so they'll have to listen."

* * *

Elsa rode Dasher while Kristoff and Pebble rode Sven up the valley to the icy fortress. Upon reaching it they paused, staring at the entrance—a vast cavern underneath a balcony of ice and stone.

"Do you think we should try knocking?" Kristoff wondered aloud.

"On what? There's no door," Elsa answered. She dismounted her snowdeer and darted her eyes about, looking for bandits. She looked back entrance of the fortress. "It's probably a maze in there. Who knows what sort of traps are waiting…" She trailed off, hearing a rustling noise on the floor above them.

A head popped up over the railing of the balcony. "Hey guys, welcome to my ice palace!" Anna called down with a wide grin on her face.

Elsa was shocked to see Anna so chipper while being kidnapped, but after giving it a thought she realized she shouldn't be surprised. Anna was always a scrappy one.

"Anna I'm so glad you're alright!" Elsa shouted up at her sister. "I was so worried when I … wait a sec, did you say _your_ ice palace?"

"Well, I guess it's _your_ ice palace, since it's the capitol of New North Arendelle, and the colony belongs to the crown. But I'm the governor of the colony, so that's why it's _my_ palace." Anna answered. "Kristoff!" she went on, "Oh, you're here too! This is such a nice welcome committee. What do you think of my ice palace? You can cry if you want, I know that's your thing."

Kristoff stared at the imposing fortress of grey ice bricks and heavy granite slabs. "Uh, I wasn't _going_ to cry, but if you really want me to…. Anyway, we're here to rescue you?"

"Oh … great! But not right now. In fact, you should probably go before…" Anna glanced over her shoulder to make sure nobody was coming down the hallway.

"What are you talking about Anna?" Elsa asked. "Is there some sort of danger lurking…" she tensed her hands up, ready to call on frosty magic.

"No!" Anna cut her off before she could summon the ice. "It's just … you should probably go. Hah! I guess the tables have really turned. Last time it was _you_ standing on in an ice palace telling _me_ and Kristoff that we needed to leave. I guess that's what you'd call ironic. Like that time that I needed a bowl and all I could find were those eight thousand salad plates." Anna thought for a moment. "Or maybe that's not ironic…. Is it Elsa? You were always the better one at literary criticism than me."

"I don't think now's the time for literary—" Elsa began.

"Wait," Kristoff cut her off. "You have _eight_ thousand salad plates?"

"Well, yeah," Anna answered. "I told you about it. Remember, in the song?"

"I always thought you were saying _a_ thousand salad plates. Are there even eight thousand _people_ in Arendelle?"

"Well I was always saying eight thousand. I guess it's kind of like the arborvitae."

"What's an arborvitae?" Elsa asked.

Kristoff put his hand in his face and sighed as Anna answered, "He was teaching me an ice harvesting song, and I thought the line went, _this icy force both foul and fair-has a frozen arborvitae."_

"But what _is_ an arborvitae?" Elsa asked again.

"I think it's a type of shrubbery," Anna answered.

"Why would an _icy force_ have a shrubbery!" Kristoff shouted up at her, exasperated at having this discussion again.

"Well I don't know," Anna shouted back. "There are lots of secrets about icing that I don't understand."

"Enough of this," Elsa yelled. "Anna we're taking you back to Arendelle. Please come down. Now."

"But I can't come down yet. I'm the governor general of this colony," Anna gestured to the valley around her.

"No, you're not," Elsa said with growing impatience. "Only the queen can declare land to be a colony of Arendelle,"

"Yeah, about that…" Anna began, but it was clear Elsa wasn't done.

"And I'm not going to let bandits kidnap the crown princess." She held up her hands once again, summoning ice.

"No don't use the magic—" Anna shouted, but Elsa had already swished her hands and formed a flight of stairs up to the balcony.

"Well," a booming voice echoed through the fortress. "The ice witch has arrived."

"No!" Anna shouted back into the hallways. "She's not a witch, you don't need to—"

She was cut off as a pair of fireballs lurched through the sky, leaving round melted holes in the wall of the fortress as they carved an arc through the air.

Elsa threw her hand out and shot an ice beam into their path. Fire and ice met in a violent popping hiss, leaving only steam floating in the air.

"They have the fire stones," Pebble shouted. "They also have wind—"

Now _she _was cut off as another pair of fireballs flew through the air. At first glance they looked to be flying far too wide to hit anybody. But from the ground, a whirlwind sprung up and caught the flaming puffs, twisting them faster and faster. One flew off into the distance, but the other was loosed right at Elsa and company. Elsa barely had time to react, bringing up a wall of ice as she flinched. She was hit in the face with hot vapor, all that was left of her ice wall and the fireball.

Anticipating another barrage, she threw ice at the two melted holes that the fireballs first appeared from, sealing them tight.

"Anna, it's time to go!" Elsa shouted.

"But I can't leave without-"

She didn't have time to finish her thought, as the entire wall behind her crashed away. Up from the dust and shards of ice grew a pair of burning whirlwinds, maelstroms of heat and light. In the middle stood a woman with black hair topped with Arendelle's crown, face obscured by a midnight blue bandana. Both her arms were held outward, one hand clenching a red crystal, the other clenching a yellow one.

"You didn't think you could steal my princess so easily, did you," she called down.

Kristoff eyed the pillars of fire. "So the Bandit Queen makes flaming tornados. I think we're out-gunned Elsa—maybe time to call the retreat."

But Elsa didn't hear him. She was studying the Bandit Queen's face. There was something familiar about it, hidden though it was.

The woman brought her hands together, and the whirlwinds sprang to life, lurching forward over the balcony.

"Mama, no!" Anna shouted as she lunged at the Bandit Queen, throwing her off her balance. The twisters flailed about and fell back into the ice fortress.

Elsa stared at the Bandit Queen. _Could it really be?_ A smile crept across her face, and her eyes grew soft. "Mama, is it really you?"

"Anna, get back, she's dangerous!" Idunn shouted, climbing back to her feet and tucking the princess behind her.

"Mama, don't you recognize me … Elsa?" The young queen asked.

"Of course I recognize you, and you won't hurt Anna with your cursed frost again!" Idunn shouted back, malice reflecting in her eyes. She squeezed the fire crystal, igniting the air above her hand.

"Mama?" Elsa pleaded, a dumbfounded painted on her face, a feeling that paralyzed her when the fireball was launched. She couldn't even bring herself to bring up an ice shield.

But her ice deer still had some senses about, and scooped up Elsa in her antlers before dashing off down the valley. Sven, carrying Kristoff and Pebble, was close on her heels. Elsa stared off into the distance as she muttered "But Mama, why didn't she…"

"Maybe we can put off touching family reunions 'till later," Kristoff yelled from his mount. "Right now we've got bandits on our tail!" He looked back over his shoulder at a stream of people that seemed to materialize out of the shadows along the edge of the valley. "Hundreds of bandits! Hey I recognize that guy."

That seemed to bring Elsa back to the present. She looked at this swarm of people, and sure enough she did recognize a few of them. Familiar faces of farmers from the Northern valleys, or Arendelle fishers, even a palace guard. But their faces seemed somehow weird… their eyes were faceted like gemstones, sparkling in the sunlight with a blue hue where the whites should be.

"Remember how you said you liked making mazes? Now might be a good time to revive that skill!" Kristoff howled over the din of the approaching throng.

Elsa nodded, and struggled to the ground from Dasher's antlers, then struck her foot against the cold earth. Outward shot a twisting and branching pattern of ice, and as she lifted her arms, the ice grew up as walls, trapping the bandits in a labyrinth of icy ramparts.

"That'll hold them for a while," Elsa said, jumping back on Dasher as they continued their retreat back to the snow ship.

"But there's more coming!" Pebble squeaked from the back of Sven. Another wave of bandits was giving chase, charging down the side of the valley to flank them. Charging with such speed that Elsa's ice labyrinth trick wouldn't hold them all. They seemed to be pushed forward on a magic wind.

"Faster, Sven!" Kristoff yelled. They were nearing the sea. A hundred yards… fifty yards…

Still riding Dasher, Elsa shot a beam of ice, freezing a causeway across the water to their ice ship. The two reindeer hit the ice with a slippery _klump_, but kept their balance and continued their dash. The horde of bandits was close behind, but before the first one could run onto the ice bridge, Moby jumped up from the water, landing on the frozen mass and shattering it with his heft.

* * *

The Bandit Queen watched the retreat from the balcony. The Ice Witch had repelled her army of hypnotized builders. That didn't surprise her—it would take magic to match Elsa, not just manpower. What did surprise her was how hard Anna was struggling to protect Elsa. Couldn't she understand the danger of that woman?

"Please Mama, stop," Anna was tugging on her arm, like a petulant child. "Stop hurting Elsa. She's your daughter and you love her too!"

Idunn smiled at Anna long enough for the princess to let go, but then fixed her with a more stern expression. "Anna, all those years ago I thought I could keep you safe from Elsa's curse simply by locking her away and keeping the truth from you." Idunn paused and looked out over the valley. "But I was wrong. You need to know the truth, and I have to face her curse head on. And while I do, it's _you_ that needs to be locked away."

"WHAT?" Anna shouted, as a bandit appeared out from the shadows and grabbed her arm.

"Alfeev, lock Anna in the dungeon. But in the _nicest_ dungeon."

"How can you do this!" the princess yelled as she was dragged away by Alfeev.

"It's for your protection Anna, just until this ordeal is over." Idunn whispered after her. Then she turned to the shadows once more. "I wish I didn't have to lock her away."

"You saw how distressed she became seeing the first battle. The next one will be much worse," Askel answered, stepping from the shadows. "You wouldn't want Anna to see that."

Idunn stared again down the valley, to the boat floating in the harbor beyond. "I've made Elsa upset. Her power gets stronger when she's upset."

Askel smiled. "That's what we're counting on."

* * *

**Author's note:**

**First, a ****_mondegreen_**** is a term for a mis-heard lyric, named for the Lady Mondegreen. There is no Lady Mondegreen; that name was invented by a writer who mis-heard the line from a poem ****_They hae slain the Earl o' Moray—And laid him on the green,_**** as ****_They hae slain the Earl o' Moray—and Lady Mondegreen._**

**Second, I'm pretty sure that a lot of folks out there have heard the mondegreen "****_a_**** thousand salad plates." I'm less sure anyone but me (and by extension, Anna) heard the ****_arborvitae _****one. But in my and Anna's defense ****_frozen heart worth mining_**** sounds a lot like ****_frozen arborvitae_**** when you're trying to sing it with an ice harvesting accent. **


	19. Chapter 19: Thieves in the Night

Chapter 19: Thieves in the Night.

Safely onboard the snow ship, Kristoff climbed off Sven and gave Pebble a hand as she jumped down.

"Where did all of those guys come from?" He said, looking over the crowd of bandits that was slowly dispersing from the shore.

"I don't know," Elsa began answering. "I mean, I'd heard reports of the Boreal Bandits, but the reports never said there were that many—"

"Hyaaa-ya!" she was cut off as a pair of twig arms came out from behind the mast, twisting ready for fisticuffs. "Oh, it's you guys!" Olaf said, seeing Kristoff and Elsa. "And the little Troll girl. Hi, I'm Olaf. I think we've met and I don't know if I got the chance to tell you last time, but I like warm hugs and not having my head kicked off by bandits."

"Olaf!" Elsa exclaimed with a start. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Anna sent me to find a set of keys to let Decker out of the dungeon…"

"Dekcer's here too?" Kristoff wondered aloud. "Oh, mannn."

"…but when I reached the bandit's encampment, the first guy I ran into kicked my head off, and I had to go after it and by the time I put myself together again, he'd left. But that's when I spotted the snow-whale out in the harbor…"

"His name is Moby," Elsa put in.

"…and I figured it wasn't _super_ likely that Moby had keys, but hey, it was worth a shot. Then when I reached the whale, he told me that Elsa was here to rescue us—me and Anna, that is…"

"Hey, I'm here to rescue you too! Well, mostly Anna," Kristoff threw into the Olaf's monologue.

"…so he gave me a lift to the ship, where I've been waiting ever since."

"So Olaf," now it was Pebble's turn to talk, "is the Bandit Queen really, you know…"

"Elsa and Anna's mother? Yep! She totally is."

Elsa turned to look up the valley. "Mama…" she muttered.

"But she attacked us!" Kristoff exclaimed. "Why would the Queen of Arendelle attack us? And where has she been the past three years?"

"I'm not really sure…" Olaf answered. "But I bet Anna knows! The two of them had a really intense staring contest where Anna's eyes went all crystal-like, and they both had one of those blue stones like some of the trolls wear around their neck."

"Mind stones!" Pebble piped up. "And blue crystal eyes … and the Bandit Queen knew just when Elsa used her magic."

"What are you thinking, Pebble?" Kristoff asked.

"Remember what Grand Pabbie said. The Bandit Queen had a power to see through magic eyes. That power he's only seen before once … _in the Troll mirror._"

"You think Queen Idunn has a piece of the Troll mirror?"

"I think the Troll mirror turned Queen Idunn into the Bandit Queen. Remember what Pabbie said—their mirror was corrupted. It only showed the ugly reflections of the world."

"Then what can we do about it?" Kristoff asked his adopted sister.

"Do _I_ look like Pabbie? I have no idea," she answered.

"Right now there's nothing we can do," Elsa said. She turned to face the two on the deck, her chest puffed up and a stoic look on her face. "Idunn has chosen to abandon her kingdom and kidnap its crown princess. Ever since Kristoff and I first dashed out of my study this has always been a rescue mission. We will stick to that. We will rescue Anna."

"Okay, but now we know we're up against some strong stuff," Kristoff replied. "The bandits have an army. The Bandit Queen has the trolls crystals—fire, wind, memory, and who knows what else. I mean, you've got you ice, and I've got a reindeer, but that's hardly enough to stand up to the bandits."

" 'at's right, you'll never beat us bandits—might's well jus' go 'ome now!" a voice shouted from below deck.

"Quiet, Johno!" Pebble squeaked.

"You're right that we can't meet them head-on," Elsa said. "So we'll have to launch a sneak attack. Steal Anna out from under them."

"What, you mean out-thieve the Boreal Bandits?" Kristoff asked, skepticism clearly in his voice.

"Ha!" Jonho put in. "You can't out-bandit us bandits."

"We have a friend in the fortress, don't we Olaf," Elsa answered.

"You mean Decker?" Olaf answered back. "Yeah, he's our friend. And I can take you to him, and we can finally let him out of the dungeon. But I'm not sure he'll be much help rescuing Anna. He's kinda been bummed out ever since the balloon ride over here."

"You guys rode in a balloon?" Pebble pipe up, jealousy in her voice.

"Yeah, it's not the mode of transportation it's played up to be," Olaf answered.

"Anyway," Kristoff began. "So we wait for sunset-launch this sneak attack under cover of darkness?"

"Darkness won't be your friend," Johno called up again. "We is the masters of the shadows. We is the monsters wot go bump in the night. You put out an evening patrol, but we sneak through your gendarme's arms and he never know we was there."

Elsa smiled. "Perhaps the Boreal Bandits can sneak through a blackout. So we'll use the cover of a whiteout."

Kjerstin dashed up the steps of the fortress. "Papa, papa! There's a storm blowing in from the harbor."

* * *

Askel turned from the Bandit Queen to face his daughter. "Oh?" he asked.

"Mighty fierce gales. I don't think the camp can handle it," she answered.

"Right. Rally the troops. Time to retreat into the fortress." He moved to the balcony, to see the dark grey clouds billowing outward from the ocean, winds whipping the snow off the ground and churning it into a frenzy. In the blink of an eye, the icy blast reached the fortress. Askel lifted his hand to keep the snow from stinging his eyes. "I've never seen a blizzard move that quick!" he shouted to Idunn.

"That's no blizzard." She answered. "That's my daughter."

Wind was flowing so violently that she missed the smile shared between Askel and Kjerstin.

* * *

"Look, Decker. I'm in no mood for your mood." Anna said. "I mean, sure we're in the dungeon, but at least it's the _governor's _dungeon. That's got to count for something, right?"

"Guess it's a step up from ambassador's dungeon," he answered in an emotionless monotone.

"Is it still 'cause of the balloon ride?"

Decker didn't answer.

"Yeah, that was hot and loud and uncomfortable," Anna answered for him. "We were flying kind of like a cloud of soot does. Sure, you're up in the air, but everything is already burned, so what good is it? Well I guess we weren't quite like a cloud of soot, 'cause _we_ weren't burned. But the point is that other things besides soot can fly. Like snowflakes."

"Snowflakes fall. I seen 'em from Olaf's snowcloud."

"Oh man, you need to see a proper blizzard then. Those snowflakes can _fly_."

"Hmmph."

When Decker continued to not answer, Anna got up and wiggled the doorknob. It was still locked. "I thought I hated _closed_ doors," she mumbled to herself. "It turns out _locked_ ones are way—"

"Let me tell you a story Highness, 'cause we got pleenty of time now. When I was in the army, fightin' for the independence, I …"

Anna sat in front of the door.

"I…" Decker went on, "…I wasn't a very good solder. But there was this war on, so you got to step up. So I stepped up. Artillery needed a lieutenant, and I stepped up. Army needed a captain, so I stepped up. Now a captain needs to lead the men, and there was a village I was leadin' 'em through, and I … I wasn't a very good solder. We shouldn't'a gone there. Artillery was already pointin'... and after the cannons set the fires, it was _so hot._ Then there was buzzards all around the ground there. But I looked up and saw an eagle flyin.' He don't care 'bout us down there, do he? If I could soar like that eagle, way up in the cool air, maybe I could also stop carein' 'bout …"

"Decker, is that why you always wanted to fly? To try to escape that memory?"

"It's the heat. That always stuck with me. Every hot wind or burst of flame… it takes me back. Sure, there's more to flyin.' Freedom and grace and all that. But mostly it were supposed to be an escape to a world of cool breezes. But that balloon ride—it weren't nuthin' but fireballs. And every one, it brought me back to that village, with the cannons and the fires and the buzzards. Where I weren't a good soldier, and the men I was leadin' paid the price."

"Decker, I…" Anna began. "I don't … and sometimes I think, but… I'm sorry," she finally said. Walking over to the window, she felt an icy wind gust through the iron bars. "But you may get to see a proper blizzard. It looks like it's really starting to come down. Wow, you really can't see a more than a few feet in front of …" she squinted at what looked like person-sized shadows taking shape. Except it was a little too small.

"Hi Anna," Olaf shouted through the storm. "So now _you're_ in the dungeon cell? Wow, that governor's decree really didn't do anything for you either, did it?"

"Olaf! What are you doing out there?"

"I'm here to get Decker out! And they're here to rescue you." He pointed at another pair of person-sized shadows in the swirling snow. "So I guess I'm here to rescue you too."

"Anna?" One of the shadows quickly solidified into Kristoff. "Anna, are you all right? When she had the fire tornados, I wanted to run up, but I mean _fire tornados_. And I knew we'd find you again, but I was worried because, _fire tornados._"

"Kristoff!" Anna shouted. "I'm sorry. I wanted to run down to you when you first showed up, but my mother was lurking in the halls and I was afraid she would, well, fire tornados. But now that we're down here …" as soon as the icer was within arms-reach of the iron bars, Anna reached out and grabbed his scarf, pulling him in for a kiss.

"Ahem," the second shadow materialized into Elsa.

"Oh, Elsa. Um, we were just … I mean a touching reunion of … and of course I love you too, but just not …"

"There'll be plenty of time for _that_ later," Elsa answered. "Now stand back from the bars, both of you." She pulled her hands backward and threw them forward, a blue beam of ice launched at the steel pillars. Frost grew around them outward and upward to the stone bricks they supported. Elsa twisted her hands, and the flakes of frost twisted and fractured, but the steel bar remained.

She frowned. Once more, she pulled her hands back, and then threw them forward even harder, growing and twisting even larger icicles around the steel bars. But when the ice vanished, the bars remained unchanged.

"Um, Elsa," Pebble said, "This fortress used to belong to the Snow Queen. It's probably immune to your icy magic."

"Wait," Anna said. "I thought you were the Snow Queen."

"It's …" Elsa begain. "It's a long story. It's like with bees. But she hasn't been seen for two decades."

"You mean, since you were born?" Anna asked. "Also, what is it like bees?"

"It doesn't matter," the queen replied. "Well, if we can't break down the window, we'll have to sneak through the door."

"It's a maze in there … do you think you can really find the right door?"

"Oh, I remember the way!" Olaf put in.

With that, the three rescuers disappeared into the blizzard.

* * *

The Bandit Queen gave her head a quick shake, driving away the vision of Elsa trying to freeze her way through the dungeon cell.

"You were right, Askel," she said. "This fortress can stand up against Elsa's magic. It also seems that you've maneuvered Anna into the position of bait."

Askel regarded Idunn for a moment. In the past he had heard her voice tinged with irritation, but never such anger. Well, she had a right to be angry. She would do anything to keep her daughter safe from that sorceress-just as Askel would. Just as Askel would do anything to get revenge on the sorceress that kept him a Kjerstin separated all those years.

"For that I apologize, your majesty," he finally answered. "But the fortress is holding up. There is magic in these walls—an ancient wintry magic more powerful than Elsa's. Perhaps powerful enough to contain her. So we must take the fight down to the lowest level. To the frozen lake, where the magic is strongest. Where, legend has it, that last Snow Queen met her demise."

Idunn nodded. "To the lake."


	20. Chapter 20: Frozen Sapphire

Chapter 20: Frozen Sapphire

Decker stared at the wall across from him. It was dull and grey and icy, and periodically a young redhead girl would leap across the room with "_Hiiiiiyaaaa_" to try to knock it down. She would invariably bounce off the wall, without leaving so much as a dent. Decker thought about telling her how foolish it was to try to brute-force your way through a wall this thick, especially when Elsa's magic couldn't make a dent either. But he knew Anna, and she would not be deterred.

"_Hiiiiyaaaa."_

But if she kept this up, she was going to hurt herself.

"You know, them folks is comin' now. No sense breaking yer ankle to bust the wall, just to have 'em open the door."

Anna inspected the ice brick she had just kicked. She rubbed her finger of what she thought might have been a chip. It was just a trick of the light. She sighed and sat down.

"How long do you think it's been since they left?" she asked.

Decker shrugged. "Don't got a watch, do I?"

"But, can't you tell, like from the sun or stars?"

Decker looked out the window to a scene that was still impossibly white. He looked back at Anna.

"Okay, so no sun or stars," she replied. "But how about your innate sense of time? I've heard soldiers have a good innate sense of time."

Decker stared at the ground. "I told you. I wasn't a good soldier."

Anna lay down and looked at the ceiling. When she was little, she had been very skilled at waiting, watching minutes turn to hours, and then watching hours tick by. But at least she had a clock to watch.

"I'd guess they've been gone about an hour," she finally announced, sitting up.

"Sounds good."

"How long do you think it takes to get through all the hallways?"

"Dunno. How good is that snowman's memory?" Decker's time with Olaf on the ship voyage, then the balloon ride north, had told him that the answer wouldn't be a good one.

"Uhh," Anna's answer wasn't re-assuring. "Tell you what they should have done," She went on. "They should have left one of Olaf's stick hands here with us."

"How would that help?" The Texan asked.

"Proprioception," The princess answered.

"Propr… what?"

"Go like this," Anna began. "Hold your hands at your sides and close your eyes."

Decker complied.

"Now, with your eyes closed, bring your two hands together so your fingers touch. Index to index, middle to middle."

Decker was a little surprised as he brought his hands together when each finger gently touched the corresponding finger on the opposite hand. He opened his eyes to see a smiling Anna.

"That's proprioception. One hand always knows where the other one is, even without seeing it. So if they would have given _me_ one of Olaf's hands and kept the other one, they'd always know where this cell was." Her smile faded as she sat down. "Then we wouldn't have to be waiting so much."

"Uhh," was all Decker could reply.

"Also, maybe me and Olaf's hand could play a game to pass the time. Like Thumb War. I don't suppose you'd want to play Thumb War? No, you've probably seen enough war. What about a clapping game?"

"Uhh," Decker replied again.

"Never mind." Anna turned away from him, clearly getting impatient. After a few minutes he heard her rhythmically tapping the wall, muttering something along the lines of "One, two three together—clap together, snap together."

* * *

The complete white-out surrounding Krisoff, Elsa, Olaf and Pebble had made it easy for them to sneak past the guards at the fortress' gaping front entrance, but it also made it difficult for Olaf to recognize the hallways we were running through.

"I think it's this way!" He shouted to his companions as they came to a tee in the corridor. Elsa had to squint to see through the snow, and tell he was pointing to the left. The four of them turned and dashed down the leftward hall. "No, wait. It's definitely the other way!" Olaf shouted again. They turned around and dashed rightward.

Elsa stared at the storm around them. Perhaps, now that they were in the fortress, it was time for the storm to end. She closed her eyes and took two deep breaths, the start of a calming exercise she would use before thinking about how much she loved her sister, and allowing her snow to melt. Before she could get to the actual thawing steps though, Olaf shouted again.

"This is definitely it! The cell is in the middle of this hall. You can tell from the heavy oak that all the doors are made from."

_I guess love and thawing will have to wait_, Elsa thought. "Good work Olaf," she said as she ruffled the twig hair on top of his head. "Kristoff, Pebble, you two go a hundred yards down the two ends of this hallway and set up a watch. Just as far as the blizzard extends, you still should be cloaked through the snow."

Kristoff nodded and dashed ahead, while Pebble turned around, curled into a boulder and rolled to the entrance of the corridor. Elsa ran ahead and stopped in front of a door decorated with green rosemalling. She gestured at it, and Olaf nodded.

"Okay, I'll work the tumblers while you hold the pintles in place," she told the snowman.

"Wow, you know how to pick locks too?" he enthused as he pulled the carrot from his face and tucked it into the keyhole.

"Where do you think you got it?" She smiled down at him. Her little Olaf. The snowman she had made with Anna all those years ago, animated by icy magic and sisterly love. And he had always watched over Anna. Elsa imagined that he would even melt for her. But not right now. She shook her head and brought herself back to the present. "Right, the tumblers." She grabbed the carrot and started working the pins inside the lock. "It's all about the tumblers…"

A moment later, with a clank, she and Olaf tumbled into the cell, to find Anna and Decker clapping hands, shouting "Princess crown together!" The two prisoners turned hearing the commotion.

"Elsa! You made it!" Anna ran up and gave her sister a deep hug.

"Anna," Elsa hugged back. "I'm so glad I've finally found, you—_really _found you. With no flaming tornados to push me away. I'm sorry I couldn't save you then, at the balcony"

"No, _I'm_ sorry Elsa. I should have run off with you. I was sucked into my role, playing at governor."

Elsa let go for a moment. "Do you want to be governor? I never thought you had a liking for politics or bureaucracy."

Anna smiled back at her sister. "I mean I never _did_, but that's part of your world, so it's part of mine. So do you think you could squeeze a chair for me into your next council meeting?"

Elsa laughed. "Sure, there's room for family in my court."

They hugged again, but only briefly before they were interrupted by Kristoff running up the corridor.

"Hey, so... Oh, it looks like you two have … great," he managed to get out between out-of-breath huffs. "But we've got a problem. The snow, it doesn't end."

"Well I can do something about that…" Elsa began, as she lifted up her hand.

"No," Kristoff cut her off. "That's not our problem. In fact, it's good. 'Cause there are couple bandits at the end of the hall, strolling our way."

"Go time?" Anna asked.

Kristoff nodded, then called into the cell, "Come on Olaf. And bring your friend."

"Juh sweez Decker."

Elsa led the way as the five of them—six of them when they found Pebble at the entrance to the dungeon hallway—made their way back out of the fortress.

* * *

Idunn scratched lines into the frozen lake in the lowest level of the Snow Queen's Fortress. She looked down at them—they almost made the word _Evigheden__._ How peculiar.

"Elsa is getting closer," Askel said from the far shore of the lake. "I can feel it getting colder. Her storm is approaching."

Idunn closed her eyes. She could feel magic, but couldn't see anything. This was unlike any time before when Elsa had used her enchanted snow. "It's not Elsa's storm," she finally said.

* * *

"Uh, Elsa, I don't think it's this way." Olaf shouted through the growing winds and thicker snow. "I'm pretty sure we came from that other corner of this ballroom when we were…"

"No, it's this way!" she shouted back "I can feel it… freedom is guiding me…"

The others ran behind her.

"Well maybe we should slow down a bit?" Anna suggested. "The white-out is getting thicker. Which is good I guess. Great for cover. But I can't see the little troll girl, and if any of us gets separated…"

"I won't let anyone get separated," Elsa answered. She could feel a force pulling her forward, re-assuring her that _this_ way was the only way. "Come on, down these stairs." The force was growing stronger, overwhelming any other feeling. _We have to go down these stairs._

* * *

Idunn could hear them before she could see them, with the racked they made as four humans, a snowman and a troll crashed down the long stairwell leading to the frozen lake. Close behind them, a snowstorm rolled down the stairwell, reached the bottom, and started swirling around the shore of the frozen lake. But in the middle of the lake, the air stayed calm.

She nodded to Askel as he took a step onto the ice to avoid the snow. He had been correct. Elsa had been drawn to this frozen lake.

Anna was the first to find her footing and step out of the snowstorm. Peering over the ice, she could see what looked like a throne in the distance. But much closer stood two bandits. Except one of them still wore the purple cape of Arendelle's Queen.

"Mama?" Anna called out. "What are you doing here?"

Idunn didn't answer.

"Also, what are _we_ doing here?" Anna wasn't sure why she was asking Idunn this, but it seemed like the sort of answerless question she could ask her mother.

"Anna, I had hoped you wouldn't have to see this," Idunn finally answered. Askel had told her what she had to do to save her daughter. She didn't particularly like it—melting the ice on the lake, just below the ice witch's feet, to let the water freeze over and trap her beneath. It wouldn't be the demise Elsa. Idunn could feel magic running through the lake. Magic that would lock Elsa in a hundred-year sleep, like Aurora Rose from the fairy tales of old.

She disliked the idea of doing that to Elsa. But she despised the idea of Anna seeing this. She knew that Anna harbored a misguided love for Elsa. A love born of naiveté, one blind to the mortal danger she was in, when she was in the company of her sister.

Elsa stood up. She surveyed the cavernous room above this subterranean lake, letting her eyes also fall on the throne far away in the center of the ice. But her eyes settled on the two bandits across the way.

"Mama, I'm taking Anna. And we're going home." Elsa stood and started walking toward her sister. A slight limp pulled at her left leg, bruised from the fall.

"Don't you understand Elsa? You are home." As Idunn answered, she pulled a silver crystal from her pocket and squeezed at it.

Elsa looked around this cavern. A strange feeling of déjà vu settled over her, like she had seen it before in a dream. Something inside her screamed that Idunn was right. That she was finally at home in the cold icy north.

But Elsa shook the feeling out of her head, as she heard Anna answer. "No, Mama. We're going back to Arendelle, where Elsa is Queen. And when you're ready to love her again, you can come home too."

Elsa smiled and reached to touch Anna's shoulder.

"_Don't touch her!" _Idunn yelled, and threw forward her hand. A burst of silver flew outward, and as it hit the frozen lake, the ice erupted in a hiss of steam. Like a flash of lightning, a fracture shot through the ice at the two girls, a geyser of steam following the crack.

The two girls fell to either side of the fissure, but the crack grew onward behind them, and with a rumble, brought down the staircase. Elsa was on the ground, but lifted her head to survey the damage. The staircase was gone, but that didn't mean they were trapped. Staircases were her specialty.

Elsa spared a backward glance at Idunn. The Bandit Queen held one hand to her chest, a silver glow emanating from it. The other hand was held outward. She was panting, as if the magic was wearing her down. But her eyes had become crystals again. A piercing blue of rich indigo, reflecting light in shimmering facets of a flawless cut. Elsa threw her hand outward, lobbing a blue light at the fallen stairwell.

The light barely had time to shimmer off Idunn's gemstone eyes, before she twisted her hand and another geyser shot the blue balls of icy magic out of the air. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave."


	21. Chapter 21: Melting Sapphire

Chapter 21: Melting Sapphire.

Anna could hear a ringing in her ear, and felt a stick poking her cheek.

"Olaf?" Her voice was faint.

"Oh, Anna! You're okay! Thank goodness!" the snowman said.

Anna turned to see her sister lift herself slowly to a kneeling position, then force one foot down, sending a jagged and crackling line of ice at her mother. "I won't let you hurt Anna."

"I won't let _you _hurt Anna!" Idunne punctuated her shouts with another silver bolt of magic, sending a crack through the ice propelled by steam. Idunn's steam and Elsa's ice met with a _pop_ that echoed through the cavern.

Anna turned back to Olaf. "What are they doing, Olaf?"

"They're both trying to protect you."

"That's a terrible way to… I have to stop them."

"I don't think an official decree from the Governor General of New North Arendelle will do much to sway them. Especially because they're both the Queen of Arendelle. And Queen's outrank-"

"No, I have to stop them. I have to stop their magic." Anna made her way to her feet, but fell back to the ice as pain shot through her ankle. She looked at it to see it was swollen.

"Ooh. You should put some ice on that."

Anna reached for the crack in the ice, to see if she could find any loose floating pieces. As she pulled a chunk out, she noticed the water dripping from it glistened with a strange iridescence. It was creamy, like the light of a full moon, but also shimmered with colors, like the faint rainbows that circled the moon on misty summer nights.

"What is this?" Anna wondered aloud.

Apparently it was loud enough for Pebble to hear, because the troll rolled up and stared at the dripping, shimmering water with a feverish fascination. "It's a moon-bow…" she muttered.

"It's … what?"

Without taking her eyes from the dripping water, Pebble answered. "Elsa's ice magic comes from a drop of moonlight. The trolls' magic crystals came from bottling the Northern Lights. But those aren't the only lights in the sky. This magic … like a rainbow, that never has a chance to visit the earth. But here it is in this cavern, ha! It's a magic born of the moon—an ice magic at heart. But with all of the colors running through, it … it has the _flavor_, just a _hint_ of all the other elements. Wow, Pabbie would love this place."

* * *

Idunn was quickly running out of breath. This geyser stone was different than the other troll crystals the bandits and acquired. It was _draining._ She could still match magic with the ice witch across the lake, but it was an even match, and each bolt of steam wore her down.

"Perhaps, my queen, it is time to try a stronger magic?" Askel had walked over the ice to stand beside her. In his hand was the red crystal.

This steam could cut through ice, but fire would cut quicker. Her lungs ached with each breath, feeling the strain of the steam stone. She nodded and grabbed the fire crystal.

* * *

Elsa saw the reflection of bright red light before she heard the crackle of flame. She turned to see the Bandit Queen holding a fireball high above her head, throwing it forward in a line-drive toward the ice under Elsa's feet. As quick as she could, Elsa threw a ball of ice magic back at the Bandit Queen.

"No!" Elsa was surprised to see it was Anna shouting this time. She was mortified to see the princess diving between the two balls of magic.

* * *

"Anna, stop!" Idunn shouted. She twisted her hand, futilely trying to re-direct the fireball.

But to her astonishment, the fireball slowed to a standstill right in front of Anna's outstretched hand. At the end of her other outstretched hand, the ice ball stood, spinning in place. Both outstretched hands dripped with a milky iridescent liquid. Between them stood Anna with her eyes determinedly closed.

Slowly the princess opened her eyes, glanced at the two balls of magic and shouted, "Ha! It worked."

"Anna? How are you … how are you doing that?" Elsa climbed to her feet and started hobbling toward Anna.

"Stay away from her!" Idunn shouted, but she hesitated to summon any more magic, not sure what Anna would do.

"That's right, I want both of you to stay away from me … for now" Anna answered. "I can do this with moon-bow magic, which apparently is in the lake. But I don't know how long it will last, so let's get this done quickly."

Idunn tightened her eyes. Anna and her schemes. The girl was the most important thing in the world to her, but she could sometimes be a petulant child. And now this petulant child was holding the deadly power of fire and ice at ransom.

"Anna … what do you mean by '_this'_?" Elsa asked, still slowly limping toward the princess.

Anna took a deep breath, getting ready to explain. "First, Mama. Elsa isn't dangerous. She can control her powers and she loves me and she would never hurt me again and the last time was an _accident,_ and you need to stop trying to set fire to her."

The fireball still twisted at the end of her hand, as Anna continued. "Second, Elsa. Mama doesn't hate you. She is still under a sorceress' cures that messed up her memories. Also some other bit of magic—a bit of sand in her eye—has given her a heightened perception of ugliness. So that's, you know, unfortunate. But it's not her fault, and you need to stop trying to freeze her. Okay?"

"Of course, Anna," Elsa answered. "All I want to do is-"

"Good," Anna cut her off. "How about you, Mama. Is it okay?"

Idunn gave a slight bow of acquiescence.

"Great. Now, the solution is clear. Do both of you remember … well I guess Mama is still under that weird spell, so she probably doesn't remember. But Elsa, do you remember when we were really little and I broke your teacup, and we got in that huge fight? Mama made us stop fighting and hug each other until we were ready to behave like civilized princesses again."

Idunn's eyes flicked between Anna and Elsa. _So, that's what 'this' means._

"Go on," Anna prodded. "Hug it out. You better hurry too. Eventually this moon-bow water will drip away, and if I get burned _and_ frozen, then you both will have done a terrible job protecting me." Anna fixed her mother a stare.

Idunn held Anna's gaze while she worked her way to her older daughter. Elsa was eyeing her suspiciously, but Idunn didn't care. The ice witch could freeze her now and it wouldn't matter as long as Anna put down the fireball. The two were standing next each other, but each holding eye contact with Anna and her magic balls of fire and ice.

"Go on," she prodded again.

Idunn nodded, _as you wish my child_. She reached out her hand for Elsa's shoulder. At the touch of her fingertips to Elsa's skin, she stood bolt upright, as though electricity shot through her spine.

_Elsa._

This was no foul ice witch. _This is my precious little girl. _This was the young princess who would run into her bedroom when the thunder would roar down the fjord. The tiny baby that the midwife placed in her arms two decades ago.

Three months ago, when she first began to recover her memories, the memories had to be cajoled outward. Before, hidden recollections of the soft hand of her husband, or the warm hug of her youngest daughter, could unlock a part of her heart and carry with it a few memories surrounding the feeling.

But now Idunn saw Elsa, her beautiful eldest daughter. She finally saw through her own eyes, not through the fog of whatever curse made the world seem so bleak. And seeing her eldest daughter put the last piece of Idunn's heart in place. In a flash Hyacinth's magic evaporated from her mind. She could open her eyes, as if from a long fevered dream, and see the world as it was. She could remember everything. And she grabbed her daughter and squeezed her close.

Idunn felt tears welling up around her eyes, as the eyes themselves dropped their crystal sheen, returning to a soft seafoam white around cobalt irises. She closed her eyes, and as the warm tears flow downward, she felt a tickle, like a grain of sand was being pulled out of her eye. When she opened her eyes, she was taken aback at the beauty of this cavern.

* * *

Anna couldn't see inside her mother's head anymore, but she could still tell that something important was happening in there. When Idunn looked up, Anna could tell—this was no longer the Bandit Queen, this was her mother, the Queen of Arendelle.

And what a relief. Anna lifted her hands up, and both the ice and fireballs flew into a long arc through the air. They flew over to the far end of the lake, where the snow throne sat in a chilled isolation. First the fireball hit, melting half of the seat, then the iceball hit and re-froze it into a shapeless lump.

"Oh, uh … oops."

* * *

Askel looked on at the scene and scowled. It appeared he lost his Bandit Queen. But that wouldn't stop his grand plan.

* * *

Kristoff stared at the scene and thought, _this family … what am I getting myself into?_ But he had another worry. The swirling snowstorm that encircled the lake seemed to be getting stronger.

"Hey, uh, your majesties," he shouted out over the ice. "I don't want to interrupt another happy reunion, but maybe it's time for Elsa to take care of this snowstorm."

Idunn looked up and answered, "It's not her snowstorm."

Elsa glanced at her mother. "It's not my snowstorm?" She closed her eyes and held out her hands, but the winds did not diminish. "It's not my snowstorm!"

Kristoff's eyes darted around the swirling snow filling the cavern. "But it's a _magical_ snowstorm. You're not doing it, Anna?"—the princess shook her head—"then whose storm is it?"

"It's my snowstorm," a calm voice echoed throughout the cavern.

Kristoff turned to the far side of the lake to see the snow throne had re-formed, and over it hovered a giant, six-foot tall snowflake. Slowly the snowflake morphed into the shape of a beautiful woman. She had a thin face, topped with a long branching crown, but everything was blue and translucent—still pure ice. Kristoff shuddered, remembering the ice-statue that Anna had become. He shuddered again as a chill whipped through the cavern. He shuddered a third time as he put the pieces together and realized who he was looking at. The matron of this fortress. The last daughter of Negagfok. The monarch of winter. The legend. The Snow Queen.


	22. Chapter 22: The Snow Queen

Chapter 22: The Snow Queen

Pebble stared at the translucent woman sitting on the ice throne, letting her stony jaw drop open. After a moment, she turned to her brother, who wore a similar expression. "Kristoff, is that really…?"

Kristoff gave his head a jostle, then turned to the troll and gave her a smile. "I've learned by now not to disbelieve things just because they're a legend. Rock Trolls, mermaids, ice magic, and now Winter Incarnate…. Remember what Pabbie told us about her."

When they were much younger, Grand Pabbie had told the story of the Snow Queen. The young trolls and a young Kristoff were sitting on patch of moss, the elder troll forming images through smoke in the air as he began.

"The life of a demigod was bound to be lonely, living between the heavenly realm of gods and the earthly realm of mortals. It was not always so. Once, the heavens were much closer to the earth, and the Snow Queen's father would visit her and her sisters before returning to the sky. But those days came to an end centuries ago, leaving herself and her four sisters stranded on earth. The sisters didn't get along, and scattered across the world. Ho'oli flew over the endless oceans to the far west, Chione to the island nations in the south, Shinatobe to the Far East. And one by one, her sisters had found a way to return to their father."

Pabbie moved his hands and swirls of smoke showed beautiful women made of ice climbing to the tops of mountain peaks on dark nights, then leaping into the air flying further and faster until they twinkled as a new star in the heavens. "But she remained. For she knew that the winter needed a ruler, to keep the season just and fair. And for five hundred years she has been the monarch of the snow. So she lives in the great northern fortress, as the Snow Queen."

Now, Kristoff and Pebble were in that palace, and the lady of ice—_the Snow Queen_—was staring at them. But she wasn't quite staring at _them_. She was staring at _Elsa._

* * *

Askel stared at the icy figure across the lake. _Well,_ he thought, _she's new. _But he turned his head and looked beyond her, at the shining throne she stood in front of. There was a milky white radiance flowing through the chair. Askel smiled. _She may be new, but that is just where it ought to be._

* * *

The Snow Queen spread a smile across her lips, although her eyes remained emotionless. "I knew you would come, my dear snow princess."

Elsa tried to answer, but Idunn stepped in front of her, a protective glare on her face.

"What do you want with Elsa?" the elder Queen of Arendelle asked.

"I only want her to claim her destiny," the woman of ice answered. "When she was born, twenty one years ago, I knew it. I could feel it. I visited Arendelle that year, so long ago—the year with no summer. Because a new Snow Queen had been born."

Elsa poked her head out from behind her mother. "What are you saying?"

"With you in the world, I could finally sleep. I have been sleeping in this lake ever since. And in my sleep I have been calling you. Surely you have felt it—a gentle tug inside, pulling you to this throne room. Now that you have returned to claim your throne, I can finally leave. I can finally return to my father and sisters." At once, the storm stopped swirling around the cavern, snowflakes suspended motionless in the air. The Snow Queen lifted her arms up as branches of ice grew off them. Once again she was a giant snowflake, one which started drifting through the air.

The Snow Queen's voice echoed through the cavern once more, a soft tone that seemed to come from the walls. "Your powers are strong, Ice Princess. But they cannot yet control all of winter. I have left such power in my throne. Take it—it is yours."

With a gust of wind the giant snowflake and a million smaller ones flew over the shattered staircase and out the cavern.

* * *

Askel walked up to the royal family. "Well, it looks like my two queens have made up, and the third queen has vanished into the air" he said with a smile. "I suppose you won't need that fire stone any more then, will you my dear Bandit Queen."

Idunn was still holding Elsa close, but she looked down into her hand to see it was still tightly squeezing a red crystal. She held it close against her dark vest, giving Askel a defensive look. Idunn looked from Elsa to the empty throne, and back to Askel. "You knew … you knew about this fortress."

"Of course. We are the bandits of the great white north, this is a great northern castle. Now how about the fire stone. It does, after all, belong to the Boreal Bandits, and I would venture that you no longer wish to be our Bandit Queen." His smile was gone now.

"You knew," Idunn repeated, tucking Elsa behind her again, this time to protect her daughter from the notorious bandit in front of her. "You knew that the Snow Queen hadn't been seen for decades. That her magic was … You wanted me to bring Elsa here. Because…"

"Perhaps if you put down that fire stone, we can discuss everybody's motives," Askle replied.

Idunn hesitated, and then lowered her hand. "Go on."

Askel let out an exhale. "Yes, I knew this was the magic fortress of the Snow Queen, and I had hoped that Elsa might wake up her power."

Idunn's eyes narrowed, and she raised the fire stone close to her chest again. "You wanted Elsa to become the new Snow Queen? Some giant snowflake that lives in the North Pole. You wanted me to lose my daughter?"

"No!" Askel held out his hands in defense. "No, I wanted the Snow Queen's power for us! I wanted Elsa here to wake up the power over all of winter, so that we—_you and I—_could have it. And we still can. Look at that throne. See it shimmer with a milky moon-lit magic? That's where the Snow Queen's power lies."

"Why would I want the power over all of winter?" Idunn still held the fire crystal close to her chest. She could feel its warmth flowing through her hand as anger at this _grimy bandit_ flooded her.

"Just think, why were you cursed? Why was _I _cursed? You, spending three years away from your daughters while they were raised as magically-cursed orphans-separated, in isolation. Me, spending seven years away from my daughter. It was that sorceress, _Hyacinth_. In her summer garden."

Elsa jumped forward. _"Hyacinth?_ You were cursed by Hyacinth too?"

Askel ignored the remark and continued. "She is safe in her summer garden. Her life is sustained by that summer garden. And that's why we need to freeze that summer garden."

Idunn relaxed at this. "So that is what this is all about. You're throwing a tantrum at Hyacinth, years in the making? That's just silly. Freezing the summer garden with the power of _all of winter_ will freeze all of Arendelle too. I'll have no part in that."

She turned back to Elsa, then gestured to Anna to join the reunion. Anna was holding her distance, unsure of the interchange between the former Bandit Queen and the current bandit leader. "Come on, Anna. Let's go home."

"Mamma, what about the throne?" Elsa looked at her mother. Suddenly, the icy queen of Arendell felt like a little girl again, turning to her mother for answers she couldn't figure out herself. "I've felt its draw. And the Snow Queen said it's my destiny. Doesn't the world need a Snow Queen?"

Idunn held Elsa's shoulder and smiled. "The Snow Queen has been sleeping for twenty one years. I'm sure the world can last without a Snow Queen for a good while yet."

As they turned to walk away, Idunn felt a blast of steam hit her back. She was on the ground sliding, and managed to turn her head and look at Askel. He was running away toward the throne, a silver stone in his hand.

"Askel!"

"If you won't claim the throne, then I will! I will have my revenge!"

He made it half way across the lake before falling forward to find his feet were cased in ice. He looked back and saw Elsa and Idunn running after him. He squeezed the silver crystal and called forth steam to melted away his frozen shackles. The magic knocked out his breath. He was wheezing as he got back to his feet. Behind him, the two queens of Arendelle were still giving chase.

_This won't do,_ he thought, and pushed his hands out to summon a monstrous geyser. Steam bounced off the walls of the cavern, causing rockslides and fissuring cracks through the frozen lake. The cave filled with a heavy mist, so thick that Askel couldn't see the fingers on his outstretched arms. His pursuers wouldn't be able to see him.

He turned again to run toward the throne, but at the first step fell on his face again. This time wasn't due to any magic assault, it was because he was _so exhausted._ The monstrous geyser had sapped all the energy out of him. All he could do was sit on the icy floor.

* * *

Despite the mist, Elsa ran onward, Idunn close behind her. She was surprised to find herself at the end of the lake in front of the throne, without ever finding Askel.

"Where did he go?" she wondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter," Idunn answered. "He won't get the throne—he won't freeze Arendelle. We are safe. Please Elsa, let's go home."

"But don't you see Mamma, we aren't safe. Not while somebody like Askel can claim the Snow Queen's power." Elsa looked at the throne and took a step to the icy chair.

"No!" Idunn grabbed her arm. "Elsa, no."

Elsa gave her a weak smile. "It is, after all, my destiny."

"No. Elsa you don't have to." She took a breath. "All we need is someone to take the Snow Queen's power. It mustn't be Askel, but it doesn't have to be you."

"Mama, I …" Elsa began. Her eyes grew wide when she realized what Idunn meant. "But you need to go back to Arendelle. Arendelle needs its queen. Anna needs her mother."

Idunn smiled at Elsa and tucked a strand of platinum hair back behind her ear. "When I was cursed with magic vision, I saw … Arendelle already has a queen."

"Mama, I …" Elsa began. "It's my _destiny._ Up here, I'll finally know that my power won't hurt anyone."

"Shhh my dear child," Idunn pulled Elsa into a hug. "I know your power won't hurt anyone. You have control."

Through the mist, they heard Anna's voice ring out, "Elsa? Elsa! Where did you get to?"

Idunn held Elsa in front of her. "When your father and I were on that ship, as it was going down, he made sure I was rescued by mermaids. Because, he said, 'the princesses need their mother.' But I can see clearly now, that what you need is each other. You take care of Anna."

"Mama, but I …" Elsa tried to answer, but Idunn had already leapt on the throne. At once, her body froze into a solid blue form, her eyes growing wide.

"So this is what it's like to rule the ice? Elsa, I wish I'd known when you were little…."

"Mama! No, you can't," Elsa reached out to feel her mother's icy hand.

"It's alright, my dear child." She stared outward into the mist. "But there is much more than ice, I can feel … the changing of seasons. It's already starting. Fall is ending, and I am being summoned."

"You can't leave," Elsa squeezed her mother's fingers, but already the ice on them was branching outward. Idunn was transforming into a snowflake.

"I must leave," the snowflake answered. "But I will visit Arendelle, when the first snow falls." The snowflake wafted into the air, disappearing into the fog.

Elsa watched it float away, tears falling down her cheek. She kept her eyes on the last spot she saw it, long after it was gone.

* * *

A few minutes later, Anna found Elsa sitting on ice near the empty throne. "Where's Mama? Where's Askel, for that matter?"

"Askel is somewhere in the mist," Elsa answered. "And Mama is … Mama is the new Snow Queen—the conductor of winter. And she has a season to orchestrate."

"What does … does that mean she's gone?"

"She said that she will visit Arendelle with the first snow."

Anna looked up into the misty space where Elsa was staring, before answering. "Then we'd better hurry home. Arendelle usually gets its first good snow in early November. And if we have to sail back without magic balloons, it may take us a while to get home. And we don't want to miss the new Snow Queen's first visit."

Anna grabbed under Elsa's shoulder and pulled her to her feed. "Besides," Anna added, "Kristoff and Olaf and Pebble are all pretty anxious to get out of this creepy cavern. And you're the only one that can make a stairway."


	23. Chapter 23: Homeward Bound

Chapter 23: Homeward Bound

The party of six (Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Pebble, Olaf and Decker) neared the entryway of the fortress. Light streamed in at a sharp angle illuminating dust that hung in the air, and casting long shadows off everything.

"Ooh, sun!" Olaf shouted and started to run toward the yellow light.

"Olaf, wait," Elsa called out. "Remember, there's an army of bandits out there. Best we proceed with caution."

Elsa was unsure how the horde of men under the Bandit Queen's spell would react now that the Bandit Queen had turned into a giant snowflake. Elsa was even less sure how the Boreal Bandits would react if the six of them emerged without the two bandit leaders.

In the cavern, Elsa had managed to freeze the mist in the air—all of the tiny drops of ice fell out of the sky with a _shhhhppp_, leaving the air clear. Twenty yards away, she saw Askel. The bandit's eyes darted from her to the throne, to Anna, to the striking absence of Idunn. Elsa could see the calculations in his head, as he realized that his Bandit Queen had taken the power of winter away from him.

"Nryyah!" he yelled in an indecipherable rage. He pushed his hand forward with the silver crystal tight. But he was still exhausted from creating the last geyser, and couldn't control the magic as well as he had hoped. A hiss of steam erupted from the ice in front of him, but the crack it formed spread in all directions like a spider web. One of the fissures spread backward, and with another "Nryyah!" he splashed into the water.

By then, Kristoff, Olaf and Pebble had made it across the lake, just in time to see the cracks in the ice repair themselves, with Askel underneath.

"Is he…" Kristoff asked.

"He's sleeping," Pebble answered, looking at the man below the ice. "The magic in this lake … it will keep him. For a hundred years, I'd guess."

Kristoff regarded the frozen man. "Can't say I'm too sad for him."

Anna and Elsa joined them, and five of them picked up Decker, Elsa created a staircase of ice, and the six made their way through the icy fortress.

Now they were looking out of the entrance. A light snow was still falling on the valley, but the snow cloud was directly overhead, so the low sun could still shine its light over them. This strange snowing sunshower made Elsa feel ever more unnerved. This was unnatural weather, and that was an unnatural army of brainwashed men.

But she had her ice, and she needed to get Anna home safely. She took a deep breath and prepared to step out into the sunlight.

"Your Majesty!" A voice cut her off.

"Haakon? How did you … what are you doing up …" the queen tried to make sense of the man running in their direction, dressed in the regalia of Arendelle palace guards.

"Haakon!" Anna called out. "Oh, right. Elsa, Haakon is one of the palace guards here. And it looks like he's brought friends?"

Trailing behind Haakon were three of the Boreal Bandits, with their hands bound behind their backs.

"Your highness," Haakon gave Anna a bow, then turned to Elsa. "Your Majesty … it's the strangest thing, I felt like I have just woken up from a terrible dream—one where I was serving these men … these _bandits._ Because of a spell cast by that Bandit Queen. Until just minutes ago, I regarded these as my comrades.… But I daresay, we can't have criminals like them running around your castles."

Elsa regarded him for a moment. "So you were under the Bandit Queen's spell?"

Haakon nodded.

"And it's lifted?"

He nodded again.

Elsa thought for a moment, then stepped out into the light. She took a few steps to overlook the valley below, and from the valley, she heard a cheer rise up. The horde of fishermen and shepherds, icers and farmers, who earlier that day had chased her down the valley, were now shouting up at their Queen, who had liberated them from the Bandit Queen's hypnotic prison.

"Queen Elsa!" "She's saved us!"

Elsa gave a slight smile and wave, then turned back to gesture to the five behind her.

Kristoff whispered to Anna, "Hey, let's go be heroes," as he pulled her out into the light.

"Wait are you sure that … because I don't think that I saved …" she began in protest as he placed her next to her sister, and the cheers rose higher. "Oh, okay." She smiled and waved as well. To her right, Olaf wore a big open-mouth bucktoothed smile as he waved his hands to the cheering crowd below. Even Decker was smiling.

After the cheers died down, Anna turned back to look at the fortress behind her. "Well, there are definitely some things I'm going to miss about New North Arendelle. But I'm glad to be going home."

"Haakon," Elsa began. "How did you manage to get up to Svalbard. You haven't been gone from Arendelle that long."

"Ships, your Majesty. At first we marched away from Arendelle, until we were picked up by ships along Norway's western coast. The bandits have a small armada, anchored in a cove not far from here."

"And can you get all of these men—" she gestured to the cheering army, "back to Arendelle on those ships? Winter is approaching, and I doubt anyone wants to spend it here."

"I'm sure we can, your Majesty. What of the rest of the Boreal Bandits? With this army, I'm sure I can track them down and bring them back to Arendelle, to face justice."

Elsa looked across the valley at the bandit encampment and realized that it stood deserted. They must have run off when they realized that Idunn's magic had worn off. "The Boreal Bandits lost both their leaders. I doubt they will be a threat to anyone again. If you catch anybody, then yes you can bring them back to Arendelle with you. But it's most important that we get everybody home."

"As you wish, your Majesty."

As Elsa started to walk down the valley, she heard Anna run up behind her.

"Wait, we're just going to abandon our colony? Not leave anybody here? What if somebody else tries to claim it?"

"Anna, Svalbard was never Arendelle's colony—it's always been part of the sovereign Kingdom of Norway. I think it's best we leave."

Anna followed Elsa, with Kristoff, Pebble, Olaf and Decker close behind. The six of them left delicate footprints in the lightly fallen snow. As they approached Elsa's ice ship, Sven and Dasher trotted up to join them, Sven nuzzling the icedeer's scruff.

"Whoa, Kristoff. Sven's got a ladyfriend," Anna said. "And she's made of ice."

Kristoff made a half frown. "It would appear that way."

"Soooo," Anna began, turning to Elsa. "How many snow pets did you make while I was away?"

"Just one more," Elsa answered, looking out over the water to see her ice whale leap over the surface and land with a splash. "We'll need him if we're going to get back to Arendelle before the first snow."

"Right! Because … the Snow Queen and …" Anna looked up at the sky, at the lightly falling snow. She closed her eyes, and wondered if she heard a voice in it.

"You hear it too?" Elsa asked.

"What's that?" Anna turned.

"The voices in the snow. I've always thought I heard something. But now that Mama … Well, now I think they're actually saying something." Elsa closed her eyes and tried to listen. She smiled. "I don't think we'll need Moby to sail us home. It sounds like a strong North Wind will be at our back all the way to Arendelle."


	24. Chapter 24: Home Again

"Kidnapping the princess? I daresay, your majesty, that's as serious an offense as they come. Their punishment must be equally serious."

Elsa nodded at Haakon. Elsa had been back in Arendelle for two days now, her ship slowed by their lack of Moby, but sped by its slick icy hull. Haakon's ship, as well as the small armada of his companions had just arrived that afternoon. And with them, he brought a dozen of the captured Boreal Bandits as prisoner. As far as she knew, they were still in the brig of Haakon's ship.

Elsa turned to look out the window at the dark clouds that hugged the mountain. It was mid November, and the crisp Autumn days were giving way to wet Autumn nights. But one of these nights it would be cold enough…

"Your Majesty?"

Elsa turned back to the palace guard. "This puts us in a bit of a fix, Haakon, because as they would put it they were rescuing her and adopting her."

"Against her will?"

"But according to her mother's will. According to Arendelle's Queen's will."

"Still, your majesty, they are bandits…."

"Askel, their leader, has already been sentenced to a hundred year sleep in the icy arctic north. Surely that is enough punishment for him and a few others."

"Ahem, if I may make a suggestion?" Anna put in. Elsa was a little startled seeing her sister there. But Anna wanted a place in their court, so here she was. "I saw them fight on board my ship to Denmark." Anna continued. "Six of them could throw a dozen sailors overboard. They even out-fenced me. They would make excellent defenders of Arendelle's fleet … so let them serve out their sentence as merchant marines."

Elsa gave a nod. "There you are Haakon. Justice is served and the Kingdom is served." She returned to looking out the window at the dark grey clouds hanging over the high cliffs, a fine drizzle falling. "I believe even the prisoners will agree …" She cut herself short as she saw amongst the rain drips a single crystal of ice floating through the air. She turned to Anna with a big smile across her face.

"You saw it?" Anna asked. "The first snowflake of winter?"

"Let's go!" The two of them rushed to the door together, before Elsa called back over her shoulder, "Remember Haakon. Serve justice by serving the Kingdom."

Together they rushed to the tallest tower in Arendelle Castle. A dark window was starting to frost over along the edges. Anna pushed it open and looked about in the open air. In front of her, a large white platform floated in mid-air, slowly twisting. As Anna approached, she noticed that it had the shape of a snowflake. She spared a sideways glance at Elsa, questioning, _did you make this_? Elsa shook her head.

Anna tentatively poked at it. The snow seemed to be whispering, _it's perfectly safe. Climb on board. _She pressed her arm against it, and deciding it was sturdy enough, leaped through the window onto the rotating snow platform. "Come on Elsa!" she called back.

When the older sister stepped aboard, the platform rose slowly into the air, then sped off into the clouds.

"This is amazing!" Anna shouted through the wind. Elsa was less convinced, and dug her hands into the snow to try to get a sturdier grip. Minutes later, the flying snow slowed to a stop near the pinnacle of the North Mountain. A figure of blue ice stood on the balcony of Elsa's snow palace.

"My dear daughters," Idunn's icy appearance said, as the flying snowflake deposited the two sisters next to her.

Anna leaped at her mother and embraced her in a flying hug. "Mamma!" she shouted. "You look… Well, blue really suits you."

"Thank you, my dear child. And you look lovely as ever." She turned to the queen. "And Elsa, this ice palace… it's amazing! If only I knew when you were a child, but I never realized what your powers could do."

Elsa blushed slightly and nodded. "But they're your powers too now."

Idunn shook her head. "No, my magic is in the magic of changing seasons. Powerful though it may be, such magic is not so intricate as this."

Anna had released her mother from the hug but was still holding onto her icy hand. "What's it like, mamma, to be the Snow Queen?"

Idunn looked up at the sky to see dark clouds twist in air currents. She concentrated on them, and the clouds broke into a light snowy flurry. "Far more work than the fairy tales of the Snow Queen made it seem. I know you've seen it on a map, but have you ever realized _how big Russia is?_ And it all needs snow. But to know that Arendelle is safe from winter's onslaught, and to understand Elsa's powers a little better…that makes it all worth it."

Idunn smiled at each of her daughters in turn. Then she sighed, "But it is a lonely life, to be the Snow Queen."

Elsa looked downward and nodded. She had been prepared to spend her life in this palace alone, under the title of Snow Queen.

But Anna perked up and looked at the giant snowflake platform, still hovering about near the doorway connecting the ice balcony to the palace proper. She turned toward her mother but walked backward to the hovering platform as she said, "Well I can think of someone who would love to spend his life flying among the snow clouds with you." She turned as she reached it, hopping aboard. "Especially if you let him use this!" She pulled up at one end, guiding the snowflake upward into the air.

"Anna? Who are you…" Elsa asked

"Decker, of course! All he's ever wanted is to fly… but in the cool of a snow flurry, with the grace of a snowflake. I'll just go fetch him!" With that, Anna pushed the front end of the giant snowflake downward and zipped off into the clouds.

Elsa stared at the mist swirling around the hole Anna punched through the cloud. At last she turned to Idunn. "Decker is … nice. You'll like him."

"Oh, we've met. I'm sure Decker and I will become great friends."

The gentle snow that fell paused as the mist lifted off from the valleys below. Idunn could see down to the Arendelle port, the city shimmering in a soft white of freshly fallen snow. Somewhere down there was her headstrong daughter, flying through the air on an enchanted over-sized snowflake.

"Can you sit with me for a moment, Mama?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

The two sat for a moment. Elsa turned to the woman in white with blue skin, and tried to open her mouth, but no words came out. Instead Idunn began, "Tell me about the blond man with the reindeer. I noticed him in the Snow Queen's cavern. Anna seemed particularly taken with him."

"Kristoff? Yes, he was an important part of my rescue party, when I was saving Anna from …"

Idunn looked down at these words. Guilt is hard to convey on a face made of ice, but Elsa could still read it there.

"…from Askel and his schemes." Elsa concluded. "He also helped save Anna after I froze …" Now it was Elsa's turn to look down.

Idunn grabbed Elsa's hand. "Magic is never an easy thing to live with." Idunn's hand was cold against Elsa's, but Elsa felt comfort in the chill.

"Kristoff plans to ask Anna to marry him. He's asked for my blessing, and I approved. But I suppose he should ask for yours as well."

Idunn smiled at her daughter. "He sailed up to the North Pole to save her for a second time. I'm sure he will take excellent care of Anna-as I'm sure you will take excellent care of her too."

More snow began to fall. Elsa held up her hand to catch a few falling flakes, knowing they wouldn't melt at her touch. She closed her eyes to listen, and could almost hear a hum coming from them. "The frozen bees are calling their queen. I suppose you must be going," she said to her mother.

"In time, my dear Elsa. But I can sit for a little bit more."

Together, the two women sat on the balcony. Both queens of Arendelle. Both queens of the snow. From the North Mountain, they admired their kingdom.

* * *

The End

* * *

Where are they now?

Every year from then onward, Idunn visited Arendelle at the first snow. With Decker by her side she toured the globe, ensuring a proper winter followed every autumn, and was gone by spring. But under Decker's advice, she decided that winters would not have to be as harsh as they had under the previous Snow Queen. Over the next few years, she pulled back on winter's advances. Modern climate historians now consider 1848 to be the end of a Little Ice Age, an age that began in the 12th century, under the reign of the Last Daughter of Negefok.

The Boreal Bandits, at least those not serving sentences as marines in Aarendelle, tried to re-group under a young leader who called himself Thor. They sailed back across the Norwegian Sea and made their way to their fortress in Lapland, where a local farmer recognized the young man as Hamburt. It wasn't long before mutiny broke against Hamburt, ending his short reign as Bandit King. Unable to settle on a new leader, the bandits fell to disarray until they finally disbanded.

One hundred years later, Askel woke from his century long slumber to find that Svalbard, and indeed all of Norway, had been taken over by Germans. With no love for the Germans, he joined the Norwegian resistance, and using the magic of the Gyser Stone, helped turn the tide against Nazi Germany.


End file.
